The Blackluck Angel
by Mike Stormm
Summary: When two of the Titan's greatest villains join forces the Titans, Blackfire and her friends must rally to save the Titans and their home from Slade and his mechanized Legion. Be sure to check out the sequel: Ultimate Sacrifices
1. Prologue: Reflections

**Disclaimer:**

Teen Titans and all its characters, names, etc. are the intellectual property of its respective owners. I do not claim ownership over Teen Titans or anything within it. Though I wish I could...cause that would just be awesome. The newly created characters, however, are my intellectual property.

**Notes From the Author:**

_Blackluck Angel_ is the sequel to _Plains of Daluram_, which are both part of the _Blackfire Trilogy_. Though recommended, it will not be necessary to read _Plains of Daluram_ to fully enjoy this story. However, I do greatly recommend taking the time to read it as it will better your understanding of the events in _Blackluck Angel_.

**Prologue: Reflections**

Dear Journal,

Though the day has been rather uneventful and thus I have nothing of interest to write in this journal at the moment, two milestones have just passed today. Firstly, this entry marks the hundredth entry into this journal since I bought it about five months ago and more importantly today marks the six month anniversary of the life-altering events I'll simply refer to as 'The Kronos Affair'. I still have trouble believing how much time has passed since and the experiences I underwent those couple of days.

Six months ago also marked the anniversary of the death of my parents, which I had always celebrated with my sister since we were little. Since I couldn't return home to celebrate, I instead joined my sister in her home. To be honest, I was planning on using the celebrations as a means of getting close to my sister and then doing as much damage and carnage as possible before high-tailing it out of the tower. Things didn't quite go as planned as I was dragged away from the Tower with the Teen Titans when an alarm went off at a museum warehouse. At first we thought it would be a small, isolated incident but instead we encountered a strange armored warrior by the name of Kronos. Hostile right from the start, Kronos seemed intent on taking down the Titans and he did so rather quickly. Only because I wanted to get back to the Tower to continue my own plans did I finally jump into the fight and show everybody just how strong I was.

That wasn't the end of the fight though. With Kronos' back against the wall, he suddenly opened up a dimensional rift that pulled the Titans and I into the unknown. When I awoke, I was separated from the other Titans and in a strange land that was very akin to my own home of Tamaran. This land was known as Daluram and was inhabited by four demon clans: the Taurantons, a bull-like demon race of powerful fighters; the Yerwn, a dragon-like clan that are strong but few in numbers; the Balor, a powerful mage clan that was the current rulers of Daluram; and the Nkrath, a reclusive and peaceful clan. Though the Titans were all separated, they worked on their own little problems and found new friends and enemies in this realm. Through our trials, we found friends in three new figures: Jacqueline L'Armor, a small-time French hero, Tyrael Veritas, a paladin from central Europe, and Terubia, an orphaned nkrath demon who swore vengeance against the Balor clans.

With the help of these new friends, we finally managed to reorganize ourselves and discovered what we were dealing with. The ruler of Daluram, Napharak, who was a great hero of ages long past, was the key to securing a way our of Daluram and back to Jump City. Raven apparently knew Napharak well from her studies as a child and was able to convince Napharak to join our cause in fighting against Kronos.

Kronos was back in Jump City, causing havoc that the other allies of the Titans were trying to contain but with little success. In order to weaken Kronos, a Balor sage explained that two 'pocket dimensions' had to be sealed by Raven and Napharak. It sounded easy at first until we were told that the former rulers of Daluram had been imprisoned in those pocket dimensions by Kronos and would try to stop us. My sister and I volunteered to hold off Kronos while the others split into two teams to handle the pocket dimensions. The fighting was hard and tiring and most of us came extremely close to death in the process. All of us suffered a number of injuries in the process but we were victorious over Kronos.

Throughout the Kronos Affair, my relationship with sister had been put to a number of tests – I rescued her from the demons, fought with her viciously, and almost died saving her from Kronos. When I awoke after the battle, Raven, who apparently had caught a glimpse into Kronos' mind during the battle, debriefed me. It was explained to me that Kronos was a warrior from the future who had traveled back to our time in order to prevent some disaster from dooming almost all life in the galaxy. I had to admit that it was hard to believe but Raven had no reason to lie and she said she confirmed what she saw in Kronos' mind. At the moment, I just didn't care about that as I was still recovering from my injuries. However, as time passed on, I wondered the same thing that was on everyone's mind – what event was Kronos trying to prevent? And how did it involve us?

After the Kronos Affair, with two near-death experiences under my belt, I decided that it was time to make something of my life and maybe make myself a better person. I promised I would keep my nose clean and I would be there to help my sister whenever she needed me, but I'm still skeptical about giving the whole 'hero business' a shot. Two near-death experiences were enough for me and I wasn't interested in getting more of those for some misguided idea of justice. I left Jump City and started traveling around the world – taking in new sights and learning new things about this planet I now call home. Last I checked with Robin, things were still relatively same with the Titans. He was still going out with my sister so I was pleased to hear that.

My sister's 18th birthday is in only a few weeks and I plan to return to Jump City in order to surprise her. Tomorrow, though, I have one last trip I wish to make. Though I spent a great deal of time training so I didn't have another near-death experience, I felt that my hand-to-hand skills were still lacking. Pleading with Robin, I eventually convinced him to give me some advice. Instead of giving me some lessons like I had hoped, he directed me to a person that taught him a while back, known only as the True Master. He gave me a map and told me where to go and a few pieces of advice, though he kept me in the dark about a lot of things, telling me that I would learn many things about martial arts and myself.


	2. Chapter 1: Prelude to Chaos

**Chapter One: Prelude to Chaos**

**"Damned weather is cutting straight to the bone."**

"Quite complaining private, just one more lap and we can go inside. If we're lucky, we might be able to get a signal for the soccer game in the lounge."

The wind was blowing so hard that the snow was virtually coming in sideways, right underneath the lip of the helmets the two guards were wearing. Their black-lens goggles were the only things keeping the snow from getting into their eyes. The blizzard had been going on for the better part of an hour and the snow had gotten so thick that the two soldiers couldn't see any more than a few feet ahead of them. Normally they patrolled the outer perimeters but since the snow was so thick they couldn't go more than a few feet from the outer wall so they didn't get lost in the blizzard. Their black balaclavas and green parkas were almost completely dusted white as they made their fifth lap around the walls.

"Who's playing tonight sarge?" the younger private asked as he picked up the pace so that his last lap around the base would be done as soon as possible. With a hat, earmuffs, balaclava, and helmet covering her ears, the private could barely hear much more than the blowing wind and the snow crunching beneath his feet. At first, the private figured that the sarge wasn't going to dignify the inquisitive private's question until he noticed that there wasn't a second set of footsteps behind him. "Uh…sergeant, where'd you go?"

No answer.

"Ha ha sergeant, very funny. Okay you got me, you can come out now," the private playfully chuckled, figuring his jokester of a sergeant was toying with the overly nervous private. Finally, a second set of footsteps could finally be heard, though the private was so relieved to hear footprints that he didn't even realize that they were much heavier than the sergeant's. The private glanced around to try and find some sign of his sergeant. Through the haze of the blizzard, he could make out a silhouette made from the snow…though it only took a second for the private to realize that the figure was much, much larger than his sergeant. Behind his goggles, his eyes widened in surprise and the last thing he saw was a large, metal needle flying towards him.

Back inside the base, the command center was quiet as it was every night. The night crew was monitoring their equipment while their commanding officer wandered about behind their backs. Radar screens and security cameras decorated the wall in front of them, all of them showing nothing out of the ordinary. The only problem they had at the moment was that the blizzard was making communication and long-range radar systems extremely difficult.

"Captain, north patrol hasn't checked in with the guard house yet. I haven't been able to raise them on the radio," one of the technicians informed the commanding officer.

"It's not Belanger is it?"

"Um, yes Captain. Still, I haven't been able to raise him on the radio sir."

"Probably just interference from the blizzard. Send 3rd squad to find them."

"Yes sir."

It was just another night at the base. When the weather got bad they usually had patrols go silent on the radio for a few minutes. It was rarely a problem or at least so they thought.

"Sir, something's just appeared on the radar!" Another officer alerted with a bit of urgency in his voice. "I have an aircraft coming in. Only 4.5km out with ETA of three minutes." The bad weather had prevented their radars from getting the range needed to spot a target coming in, so by the time they noticed this unidentified craft, it was already extremely close. "I've already tried reaching them on the radio, they're not responding."

"Send another warning and if they ignore it, fire a missile."

"Yes sir," the officer answered as he began typing quickly on his keyboard. "Uh…s-sir. The SAM sites are not responding."

"What?"

"The surface-to-air missile launchers are not responding to my commands. The automated targeting system is completely inoperative."

"What about manual targeting?"

"Not in this weather."

"Thompson, raise General Huet on the radio and tell him to scramble his fighters to this position. Henry, wake the Major." The captain sighed lightly, shaking his head slowly as he tried to wrap his mind around the recent events. It was probably just a lot malfunctioning due to the cold weather and a lost airplane that couldn't see more than ten feet in front of it. It was all just a big misunderstanding…it was the only thing that made sense to him. Still, they had protocol to follow and this area was clearly a no-fly zone.

"Sir, communications isn't working anymore. I can't get a outside line at all," the communications officer informed the captain. "Internal communications are still operational." There was little that they could do at this point except wait and hope that the unknown vehicle would change course. Just as a contingency plan, the captain ordered several squads to be put on alert in case there was a danger. When they had a better idea of what was going on, they could do more. Right now, communications were down, several of the defense systems weren't working, and they still had a missing patrol. Just as things didn't seem like they could get any worse, the lights in the room suddenly died. Thankfully, the darkness didn't even last for more than a few seconds as back-up generators kicked in and red emergency lights activated through the room.

"Don't tell me, now the main generators aren't working anymore…" the captain grumbled under his breath. Before somebody could answer, the base commander entered the room. With his uniform somewhat messily put on and his short, reddish hair was clearly not made after being woken up in the middle of the night.

"What's the situation?"

"Unidentified vehicle is approaching, SAM sites are non-responsive, outside communication lines aren't functioning, and the generators have just klunked out. Oh…and Tweedledee and Tweedledum haven't reported in again. Aside from that, everything's peachy sir."

"Alright, what's the situation on that unidentified aircraft?"

"It…just landed about 150m outside the main walls sir. The outside sensors aren't working well enough for us to get an idea of what's going on outside."

The major took a position next to the communications officer, since most of the other systems weren't working very well. "Send the nearest squad to investigate and put Alpha Company on alert." The officer promptly relayed the commands and, as the major hoped, the situation would be resolved shortly. Everybody in the commander center waited anxiously for the news until finally, about five minutes later, an answered came.

"H…help…" a weak voice crackled over the radio. The signal's relay told the command crew that the message came from one of the soldiers that had been sent in. Before the communications officer could even answer the call, the line went dead.

"Call the northeast tower immediately. I want to know what the hell is going on out there," the major quickly demanded as the situation took a turn for the worse.

"I can't get a response from the northeast tower sir," the communications officer answered moments later. "There isn't any response from the other towers either."

"Scramble Alpha Company and put the base of full alert," the major said grimly. Red alarms began blaring throughout the entire complex, awakening dozens of slumbering soldiers who immediately raced to their lockers to arm themselves and prepare for future orders. The entire Alpha Company hurried to assemble in the courtyard – a fifty-meter field that separated the main gates from the outpost itself. More than eighty soldiers in total assembled in the snowy courtyard, all of them prepared for the worst.

"A few minutes ago an unknown ship landed outside of the base and a squad sent to investigate replied with a message of urgency. We are to hold this position…if the base is in danger, we are to stop them from breaching the main walls. Form a defensive perimeter around the main gates and await further orders," the commanding officer of Alpha Company shouted to each of his soldiers. They nodded in acknowledgement before scrambling to take position. The soldiers took positions forming a large arc in front of the main gates, just watching the giant metal doors.

"It's been almost ten minutes, I think we should send some scouts to investigate," one of the junior officers commented to the commanding officer.

"You might be right. Private Piat!" A private in the defense line rose to his feet upon hearing his name. The moment he rose to his feet, a gunshot rang out through the entire courtyard and a bolt of energy struck down the young soldier. All the soldiers took cover again as they tried to figure out where the attack came from, until a pair of loud impact noises alerted them to the fact that their enemies had just scaled the walls.

Inside the command center, the senior officers had only just heard word from Alpha Company that an attack had begun at the main courtyard. The major was concerned but he wasn't worrying yet – they had three company of soldiers stationed at the base. One was out in the courtyard, one was guarding the base's vital locations, and the last was still in reserve. "Reports are coming in from the courtyard – Alpha Company is encountering heavy firepower and are requesting back-up. Casualties are being reported and they cannot confirm the enemy strength or identity."

"Send Bravo Company in to assist and patch me through to Alpha Company's CO."

"Yes sir."

It took a few minutes for the radio to finally patch in a response. The sound of heavy gunfire and indistinct shouts from soldiers could be heard in the background. "This is 1st Lieutenant Duret, we're experiencing heavy firepower from unknown enemy forces."

"Where's your captain?"

"Dead sir – a round came out of nowhere. The blizzard is too thick sir; we can't even see our targets. Requesting permission to pull back into the interior of the base and use the front lobby as a focal point."

"Denied lieutenant. You are to stop the enemy from stepping foot inside this base. Bravo Company is already on their way to reinforce your position."

"Yes sir," the lieutenant spoke his last words before ending the communication. Now the major was getting worried. The blizzard was so bad outside the soldiers weren't even able to tell whom they were shooting at. While pulling back into the lobby was a reasonable idea, they couldn't afford having the enemy spill into the building.

"Major, Bravo Company has just reported encountering enemies in sector Red-3!"

"They're already inside?" The major shouted in disbelief.

"There must've been two teams all along: an assault force and an infiltration team. These guys must've been the ones that took out the SAM sites, communication, and power systems," the captain added. The two senior officers frowned in concern as they worried about their predicament. The radios began blinking with incoming calls as squad and company leaders tried to reach command for orders or recommendations.

"Major, Alpha Company is reporting heavy casualties and their line is beginning to fall apart. They are again requesting permission to pull back into the lobby to regroup and mount a proper defense."

"Very well, pull them back into the lobby."

"Sir, I can't reach anybody in Bravo Company," another communications officer informed the senior officers.

"And I can't reach Alpha Company anymore," the other officer alerted them. There was dead silence in the room for the first time in almost twenty minutes. Neither of the senior officers could believe that two whole companies of soldiers might just have been completely taken out by an unknown enemy force.

"Lock down the command center and tell C-Company to lock down the Vault until further notice from me. Tell them that nothing is to get inside that Vault – they are to defend it with their lives!" The few armed soldiers in the commander center immediately hurried to the main doors to the room and sealed the heavy armored doors. The tension in the air was rising, as a few officers watched as security cameras shut off one by one until everything except for the Vault cameras were showing only static. All that was left was to wait patiently for something to happen…to say that the situation looked grim was an understatement. Their only hope was that Charlie Company would be able to protect the Vault until the routine check-ins were noticed missing by the nearby airbase and help would be sent. However, they didn't know how long it would be until then.

Time seemed to pass unbearably slow for the people inside the command center as they waited for their inevitable fate. Finally, a loud banging came from the door – a very loud and heavy pounding that definitely didn't come from a soldier, especially as the last one left a dent in the door. "What was that?" the major muttered quietly before a lithe, metallic fist punched straight through the door. The hole was made straight through where the locking mechanism was and right afterwards the door was ripped straight out of its frame. Before the guards could even raise their guns, a figure sprang into the room and struck out at the armed guards. With extreme precision and power, every one of the guards were disarmed but surprisingly not killed.

The major reached for his pistol in a defiant attempt but the moment the pistol was out of its holster, that lithe metallic hand gripped the pistol around the barrel and squeezed the barrel so tightly that the sound of crushed metal could be heard. Now face-to-face with their attacker, the major just barely managed to maintain his stoic appearance as he stared into the cold, criminal eyes of the cybernetic villain known as Brother Blood. Blood smirked coyly as he released the major's pistol and relaxed his posture.

"Terribly sorry about that rather rude introduction Major but you must understand that I didn't want any accidents when I tried to talk with you," Blood spoke in his more gentle tone, almost patronizing the major.

"Who are you?"

"The name's Blood, Brother Blood. It's a pleasure to meet you Major Guillet, I have heard so much about you. I must commend your valiant effort in trying to repel my efforts, though you pretty much failed utterly. Two whole companies of your soldiers wiped out by…eight of mine."

"E-eight? That's a lie."

"No lie my friend: two squads of four soldiers, plus two commanders including myself. I'd introduce you to them but they're a little shy so it's just going to be me. Anyways, enough with the pleasantries, I would like your access keycard to the Vault – now."

"Pardon my rudeness but you can just go to hell."

"Give me the keycard and I won't kill you and your command crew. Does that sound like a better deal?"

The major was silent for a while as the other officers watched the major's decision. Finally, the major sighed and reached for a keycard that hung from a chain around his neck. "You won't make it into the Vault anyways," the major remarked as he handed the plastic keycard to Brother Blood.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Blood answered, smirking once again as he left the command room. As promised, he didn't do harm any of the officers inside the room, though the moment he stepped out of the room a second figure entered the room and the sound of heavy gunfire followed seconds later.

Several sectors further into the base and several stories straight down, the heavily armored Vault was still untouched by the chaos that occurred outside. Just past the main doors of the Vault, inside the Inner Vault, was the entire compliment of C-Company who had just been informed that the entire upper compound had been taken down. Like Able Company before them, the final company had formed a perimeter around the main door as they prepared for the final assault. They were the last line of defense and each soldier knew that what was held inside the Vault was worth laying their lives down in order to stop it from being taken. The C-Company commanding officer had been given his last orders to hold the Vault until told to stand down by one of his commanding officers, who were all dead.

"There hasn't been any reports from HQ in a while. I think it's safe to assume that we're the only ones left," the commanding officer sighed lightly. There was no sign of activity from the outside world until the computer terminal next to the main door began to beep subtly. They all recognized the computer's activity though and it signaled that somebody was opening the door from the other side. It was safe for them to assume that the enemy had gotten hold of the keycard so once the door had opened even a small amount the soldiers launched a pre-emptive strike. A pair of grenades was thrown through the increasing gap, exploding violently and hopefully destroying anything on the other side of the door. The smoke from the grenades blanketed the doorway but that didn't stop the soldiers from unleashing a hailstorm of gunfire downrange just in case anybody was still alive. A full ten-second barrage was sufficient to satisfy their commanding officer, who ordered a cease fire to see the outcome of the assault. When the smoke finally settled, the soldiers were treated to a view of an empty hallway with scorch marks decorating the walls and floor.

"Dammit, nothing!" One of the officers cursed.

"Where are they?"

"Don't know."

"Private Duiceppe, check it out."

"Sir, yes sir," the private said as he got up from his position and cautiously headed into the hallway. Though nervous, the private bravely scouted the first several feet of the hallways, including checking into the few nooks and crannies along the walls of the hallways but found nothing. Muttering a few cusses under his breath, the private started on his way to join his fellow soldiers back in the Vault. All of a sudden, the Vault door slammed shut in his face. At first, he thought it was a mistake until he heard the sound of panic and gunfire coming from the other side. The private was almost trembling in his boots as the cries of panic grew louder and louder until everything fell silent. "My god…" he muttered softly.

Those were his last words though when a beefy arm wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off blood flow and his airway. He struggled vainly against the person's grip until his head was jerked sharply to the side accompanied with a loud cracking noise that silenced the man forever. His limp body collapsed to the ground as the Vault door reopened.

Inside the Vault, the entire company of soldiers now lay dead on the ground, most of them having severed body parts or other obvious blade wounds. There was one soldier still alive though – the company commanding officer who was laying on the ground with several slow bleeds over his body. He had not only been left alive on purpose but left alive in a condition that would only result in a very painful and slow death. Light, metallic footsteps slowly headed into the Vault and the Vault lights brought detail to the black and gray armored figure.

"Excellent work troops," the always-in-control voice of Slade spoke up for the first time tonight. The light glistened off his black and orange helmet as his one good eye gazed down upon the wounded soldier. He tucked his hands behind his back as he stood over the officer, watching with a bit of amusement as he writhed on the ground in pain. "Could you please get up, I much prefer talking to people face-to-face," he said as he motioned for the soldier to get up. Since there was a large laceration on his leg, the officer was in no mood to be standing at the moment. Slade, however, wasn't going to let that stop him as he made the rising hand gesture again. This time, though, it was directed to one of minions that proceeded to grab the officer by the shoulders and hoisted him off the ground…though the officer could see no other enemies in the room apart from Slade.

"You put up a good effort but it's hard to fight an enemy that's equipped with a cloaking field," Slade added as he patted an invisible figure next to him. "Now, I'd like your keycard to the inner Vault if you'd be so kind as to give it to me. It would make both of our lives a lot less painful."

"It's hidden and you're never going to find it so you might as well leave," the officer spat back.

"My my, aren't you the defiant one? I will have that key though and whether you give it to me or not will determine whether your death is quick and painless or slow and agonizing. The choice is up to you."

"Since I'm going to die either way, I'd rather just make your life as hard as possible."

"Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. SB-1 - probe his mind." Upon the order, a trio of thin wires appeared next to the officer's neck, slithering out from wrist of the invisible figure. They plunged into the back of his neck, causing a great deal of pain and agony to the officer who convulsed from the sensations. The wires that had burrowed into his neck began to divide and infiltrate into his nervous system…tapping into his brain and actually probing it for the information that they were looking for. As the probe continued, the officer began to convulse more painfully, as if being electrocuted now, which was not too far from the truth. Once the data was found, the wires retracted back to their holders and the officer was dropped to the floor, who now lay motionless but alive on the ground. While accurate and effective, the mind probe almost always left the target completely brain damaged in almost all upper-cognitive functions. In other words, they were left a complete vegetable.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes commander Slade," a wispy, mechanical voice whispered through the air.

"Good, you know what to do." Slade slowly glanced over his shoulder back to the way he came in to see the slender, red-metallic figure of Brother Blood standing in the door. "I assume the Hoplites handled the courtyard well?"

"Perfectly in fact. All targets were eliminated and barely even a scratch of damage to one Hoplite. Of course, they couldn't have gotten that close if it weren't for the brilliance of the Shades."

"They are a lovely bunch aren't they? Much better than the previous drones that used to be in my service." Slade reached to his left and grabbed something out of the air. It was invisible at first but once it left the minion's hand, the second keycard became visible. "Shall we?"

"But of course," Blood said as he motioned for Slade to lead the way. The pair headed to a second, larger set of doors that stood as the final barricade between them and their target. They both glanced to each other for a moment before inserting their keycards into their respected readers next to the door, unlocking the near-impenetrable metal door. The seventeen-inch thick door was shaped like a large cogwheel, slowly being pushed inwards by hydraulics and then grabbed by a mechanical arm that wheeled it to the side. The lights inside automatically activated as it revealed the large, open chamber that contained dozens of individual cells along the walls. The pair began walking down the aisle, peeking into each of the cells and looking at the cargo they contained. Within each cell, frozen in an ice-like prison, were all the enemies that had been gathered by the Brotherhood of Evil many months ago. They had been transferred from the old underground base in Paris to this military outpost where they were to be held indefinitely but now they were at the mercy of two of the worst villains the Teen Titans had ever dealt with.

"Bravo team, you have your orders – start thawing them out," Slade ordered as the cloaked minions began to get to work.

"I must admit, this is certainly a brilliant plan," Blood complimented as they watched as dozens of villains began to be thawed out of their prisons.

"It's only just beginning Blood. Now we move onto phase three. The Titans won't know what hit them…"


	3. Chapter 2: SelfDiscovery

**Chapter Two: Self-Discovery**

**"Who'd imagine there was civilization all the way out here,"** Blackfire muttered quietly to herself as she stood at the top of the hill overlooking the village. Unlike Robin before her, she had the benefit of having somebody who knew which part of the world to go to. It had taken a while but Blackfire did succeed in talking Robin into pointing the little village out to her on a map. With the exception of a few pieces of advice though, Robin didn't give Blackfire any idea on how to find the legendary True Master or what she should expect. Having spent the past half a year working to improve her fight skills, the final thing Blackfire wanted put under her belt was the best martial arts training known to man. The near-death experience of her fight with the powerful warrior known as Kronos had…humbled Blackfire to a degree. It only humbled Blackfire long enough for her to double her training efforts. Blackfire might not be the hardcore martial artist like Robin was but she was a Tamaranean warrior and that had to count for a lot. Ever since Blackfire was a young child, she had been undertaking formal training in a variety of Tamaranean combat styles.

"Nestled at the intersection of 'middle' and 'nowhere'. What's with legendary martial arts masters and making their homes in such remote villages? The Ven-Zo master lived at the bottom of a gorge and my old Tamaranean war master lived at the top of a freaking mountain," Blackfire continued griping to herself as she headed down the path to the village. Blackfire figured that, knowing her luck, this True Master probably lived at the peak of the mountains that provided a backdrop to the picturesque landscape.

With her duffle bag slung over one shoulder, Blackfire tiredly made her way into the village. In hindsight, Blackfire wished she had taken the time to sleep the night before rather than just complete the final leg of her journey so she would reach the village at early morning rather than late evening. If Robin's advice was accurate, she was going to be in for a long, tiring trial with this True Master and being as tired as she was at the moment, Blackfire actually had some doubts about her chances of success…not that she would admit it openly.

Blackfire had never been in a village of such a small size before. She was so used to living in palaces, large cities, or on her own in the wild, Blackfire was intrigued by the quaint little life the farmers had in this village. So preoccupied with their own little lives, nobody even noticed that an orange-skinned alien walking through the front archway of their village. They didn't even give her a passing glance as she walked through the village. Blackfire found it a bit odd but didn't give it a second thought as she headed to the large statue at the far end of the village as Robin had advised her. She stood before the statue for a few minutes just admiring the workmanship of the stone warrior. Was this homage to the True Master, she pondered and ran her fingertips over its granular surface.

"Now to find that True Master. How hard could it be? Robin did it easily so it shouldn't be a problem a Tamaranean warrior like myself," Blackfire said confidently, smirking to herself. Of course, Robin gave her no advice on what to do once she reached the village, aside from finding the statue but that was mostly to confirm that she was in the right village. The first thought that crossed Blackfire's head was to just start asking around for information, but part of her was too proud to lower herself to asking blindly like some lost tourist. It was bad enough that she already stood out like a sore thumb; she didn't want to make it more apparent that she had no clue what she was doing. "I knew I shouldn't pressure Robin for more information," she grumbled indignantly.

* * *

"Robin, it's about time you showed up – I've been waiting for almost half an hour," Blackfire remarked as she folded her arms across her chest with an annoyed look on her face. She leaned back against the railing of the roof of the Titan's Tower. The crescent moon hung high in the cloudy sky on this cool winter night.

"You didn't really give me much notice Blackfire, you just called and told me to meet you up here in ten minutes."

"I didn't think that it would be this difficult of a task for you."

"I was on the other side of town. You're lucky I managed to get here this quickly," Robin remarked, moving to lean up against the railing near Blackfire. He didn't know why the Tamaranean had returned to Jump City, though the nature of Blackfire's message suggested that it was more business than recreation. The fact that Blackfire had asked for Robin to come along and specified not mentioning her presence to Starfire puzzled Robin as to the nature of her business.

"So…how have things been with Starfire?'

"They're fine. I'm sure you didn't come all the way here just to ask me that."

"Of course not, but I'm required to inquire frequently about any relationships my little sister is part of. If you have any idle chit-chat you wish to make I suggest you do it now."

"What have you been up to?" Since the incident with Kronos six months ago and Blackfire ventured out into the world with a new outlook on life, Blackfire had only made contact with the Titans once every few weeks and mostly just with her sister.

"The usual really – training hard, seeing sights, meeting new people…those sort of things. Oh, I visited Terubia about a week ago. She's been doing a pretty good job of fitting in with this world." Terubia, the nkrath demon who decided to take up residence on Earth, had settled in nicely after a fairly lengthy period of adjusting to new surroundings and cultures. "Visited Tyrael, too, in Germany. You should see that monastery he's got. Spent a couple of weeks training with him and his co-workers. Um…aside from that, nothing much that's noteworthy."

"So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I…um," Blackfire paused on her words for a few moments, struggling to find the right words. "I need to ask you a favor."

Robin smirked and shook his head slowly, finding some amusement in Blackfire's still struggling attempts with humility. "A favor, from me? I guess I should feel honored that the great Blackfire is asking something from me."

"Oh can the sarcasm," she chuckled lightly. "I'm here because you're the only that can actually help with this…issue."

"And that issue is?" Robin asked, growing more curious as to what she was leading up to.

"I need you to teach me martial arts."

"Uh…did I hear you right?"

"Drop the stupid act, okay? There's no gain from staring stupidly at me like I just asked you to drop your trousers. You're one of the best martial artists I know and I need somebody who can actually teach me something new – all I have are sparing partners that I can beat down easily." Tucking her arms behind her back, Blackfire stepped closer to Robin and narrowed her eyes. "Yes or no - You gonna help me or not?"

"I don't think you really need any help with that. You're already pretty strong."

"I need to be stronger!" Blackfire snapped before taking a moment to calm down. "Now quit avoiding the question and answer me."

"Alright, alright. I'll help. I'm just…confused. You made it sound urgent earlier…"

"It is urgent you half-wit! I need to get stronger and all my other skills are as good as I can get them at the time, so all that's left is hand-to-hand combat."

"You've had almost six months to train that, why ask now?"

"Uh…c-cause…I just realized that my hand-to-hand is still leaving something to be desired."

"You got beaten in a hand-to-hand match, didn't you?" Robin pressed with a sort of triumphant smirk on his lips – the kind you hold when you trap your prey in a corner. Blackfire only ever displayed such humility when she got her butt served to her on a silver-platter, so Robin was able to deduce that Blackfire had recently had her ego injured. Blackfire's furrowed brows and brief pink glow in her eyes confirmed Robin's inquiries.

"The…paladins at Tyrael's order are a lot tougher than I thought. It's been a while since I've really studied with somebody at a master's level."

"Well if you really want to train at a master's level, there's somebody better than myself I could direct you too. It'll be tough, but if you succeed you'll get far better training than anything I can give you."

* * *

"Well I can't linger here any longer, I've got a master to find," Blackfire said as she finished lingering on her thoughts. She had a few days to find this True Master and train before she needed to head back to Jump City for an important event she had promised to attend. As she turned around, Blackfire was startled by the presence on an old woman standing directly behind her. Of course, like every other person who sought the True Master, she didn't suspect that the weathered old woman with a walking stick in one hand was actually the True Master she was looking for. "Gah! Where'd you come from?"

"I live here," the old woman replied, frowning slightly at Blackfire. "Besides, I should be asking you, strange girl, where you came from."

"If I told you, you'd have no idea where that place is so let's just leave it at 'very, very far away'," Blackfire retorted. The old woman was grating on her nerves a bit, but for the time being Blackfire intended on keeping herself out of trouble. "I'm looking for the True Master, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find him?"

"Bah," the old woman scoffed as she dismissed Blackfire's request. She strolled on past Blackfire and into the fields to tend to her garden. "Another impatient, hot-headed young child looking to train with the True Master…"

"When you have a reputation as impressive as the True Master's it shouldn't be a surprise that people want to train with him. Now could you tell me where I can find him?"

"Be patient young one. Life is not a race you know. Everybody is always in such a hurry these days, if you do not take the time to do things right, then there is no point doing it at all," the True Master lectured as she checked on the progress of her vegetable garden. "If you wish to see the True master, you must reach the top of the mountain by nightfall."

"Uh…didn't you just say life wasn't a race?" Blackfire muttered, though mostly to herself, as she looked to the mountain. "Piece of cake, I'll just fly up there and I'll be seeing the True Master by lunchtime."

"The True master will not teach you unless you walk up the path," the True Master's curiosity was piqued slightly by the girl's remarks. She walked back to Blackfire and eyed her carefully. "I have not seen one quite like you before. Perhaps the True Master will teach one so unique as yourself – but you must prove that you have the mind and body of a warrior."

"I was raised to be a fighter old woman, no mountain path is going to stand in my way of my goals – even if I do have to do it on foot."

"Don't speak so boldly child. The path to the top is very challenging and many have tried and failed in the past," the True Master retorted as she gave Blackfire a quick and precise strike to the forehead with the end of her cane. "There is more to martial arts than muscles and technique and if you do not lose that arrogance of yours, you will not succeed in ascending the mountain."

"I can and I will make it up that mountain old woman!" Blackfire snapped back. "I am a Tamaranean warrior, trained by the greatest war masters on my planet and even still all I ever got was doubts and second-guessing about my abilities. So pardon me if I do not wish to listen to more nay saying as to what is and isn't within my grasp. I will see the True Master and not even X'Hall herself will stop me!"

Surprisingly enough, the True Master did not seem to be taken back by Blackfire's outburst. Instead, those dry, wrinkled lips of hers curled into a quaint smile. "You have much passion in your heart child…you remind me of myself when I was your age. The path up the mountain will put you whole character to the test – body, spirit, and heart. All of these parts must be perfect if you wish to train with the True Master. I can tell that your heart is in the right place and that your body is without question, the only factor that will be put to the true test is your spirit."

The True Master's response calmed Blackfire and actually managed to instill some inspiration in the fledgling warrior. "Could you please show me the path, I'd like to get started right away."

"Very well, but first there are a few things that must be taken care of first before the True Master will see you."

* * *

"White cotton? Not only is this damn thing not fashionable at all, it offers no protection for me…" Blackfire grumbled bitterly to herself once she had parted ways with the old woman and began her ascent up the mountain. The white garbs felt very strange upon Blackfire, who was used to wearing her body armor all the time since she was a young warrior. She followed the wooden path up to the river, stopping at the edge of the wooden dock where it looked as though a bridge should be.

"Who the hell puts this here and doesn't bother with putting up a bridge? I certainly hope this isn't as tough as those challenges get," Blackfire remarked as she stood at the very edge. She was about to fly across when she remembered the old woman's words – the True Master would not teach her if she did not walk the path. "I have to swim across? I hate water!"

"The path to victory is always filled with things we do not like. Victory means overcoming the obstacles we dislike the most," a deep, baritone voice spoke up behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Blackfire saw the towering anthropomorphic bear standing behind her. "A girl? Well, this is a first."

"Uh…who are you?"

"I am the Guardian of the River – if you wish to reach the top of the mountain, you must get past me."

"I was expecting a challenge," Blackfire smirked as she took a few steps back and readied herself for her first challenge. "Shall we dance big boy?"

"Well you certainly are confident," the Bear answered with a grin. "I hope you have the strength to back up such bold words." Blackfire charged at the beat, aiming to end this fight quickly with one powerful punch. Despite this size though, the Bear proved to be remarkably fast, stopping the Tamaranean's fist by grabbing her around the wrist. Blackfire was lifted off her feet as the bear spun her around in the air for a bit before slamming her down on the ground. What the bear didn't count on though was Blackfire regaining her composure while in the air. She managed to land on her feet when the Bear slammed her into the ground. The Bear was quite surprised by this quick recovery and more so by the fact that she was now holding onto his wrist.

"Hate to break it to you, but I have more strength than you!" Blackfire grunted as she used her Tamaranean strength to lift the Bear off the ground and slammed him hard into the docks, causing the word to crack from the force. Blackfire quickly grabbed the fur beneath his neck and raised one hand up in preparation to strike. "You've been beaten Guardian, now let me pass."

"I have not seen such strength from somebody so small in many years," the Bear replied. "However, yours appears to be just raw strength – wild and uncontrolled. You rely too heavily on your imbued super strength."

"You're just annoyed that you got beaten by a girl."

"What fuels your strength?"

"My confidence. When a Tamaranean's confidence is unwavering, their strength becomes insurmountable."

"Typically, I am to test the warrior's resolve, physical strength, and their ingenuity when facing a much larger opponent but I do not believe that such a test is appropriate for a person of your…unique background."

"Wait a minute, you can't just change the rules on me! You said I could pass if I beat you and you've been beaten!" Her anger distracted her for a moment, which was long enough for the Bear to knock her off of him and get back to his feet.

"Relax, I will not be handicapping you any more than those that have come before you," the Bear explained calmly. "Show me your discipline and skill by defeating me without using your super-strength. After all, the True Master will only teach a student who shows self-control and humility."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," Blackfire muttered bitterly as the warriors readied for battle again. It was going to be difficult to let go of her confidence during the fight. Her best bet was to simply avoid anything exceptionally strenuous. The Bear made the first attack with a powerful swipe of his claws. Blackfire moved in closer and brought her arms up to block the strike. When the Bear tried to strike again, Blackfire used the close distance to get in a quick, precise punch to the soft spot beneath his rib cage on the lateral side. It stunned the mighty warrior long for Blackfire to quickly spin around to his backside and drive her elbow right into his right kidney. It was a staggering blow to the mighty warrior but instead of dropping to the ground like she had expected, the Bear swung around with arms out wide, backhanding Blackfire. Bouncing across the wooden dock, Blackfire almost fell over the edge but managed to grab hold of the ledge at the last moment.

"I am not going to be beaten by you…" Blackfire growled after pulling herself back onto the dock. As the Bear slashed at Blackfire again, she jumped high and landed into a handstand upon the Bear's shoulders. All the Bear could do was watch as her knees came down together and smashed right into his face, toppling the might Bear over.

"Well done," the Bear congratulated as he rubbed his sore face. "You may proceed. If you wish to turn back though, now is the last chance you can do so." A wooden bridge rose out of the water and Blackfire wasted no time in continuing on her way up the mountain.

* * *

Blackfire panted softly as she leaned against the mountainside. She had been walking for a couple of hours now and the exhaustion from having rested very little before starting her trip was taking its toll upon her. Her legs were already beginning to feel heavy and her feet were aching – the flyer was not used to this much walking. "Maybe…just a few minutes…" she sighed softly as she sat down on the ground and put her back against the stone.

"You should not be resting," the familiar voice of the old woman caught Blackfire's attention.

"I haven't slept in almost eighteen hours so give me a break," Blackfire muttered in response.

"The True Master will not teach you if you are not willing to give it your all," the True Master explained, followed by a few light pokes with her walking stick. "Now up on your feet, you still have much to do before you can reach the mountaintop."

"Quit poking me!" Blackfire snapped back as she rose to her feet. "You can just ask nicely you know?"

"And when do you ask nicely of people? I know your type – you take what you feel you deserve and do what you want. You don't let anyone tell you want to do. If you want to see the True Master, you must learn the difference between what you want to do and what you truly need to do."

"Great...now I'm getting life lessons," Blackfire sighed under her breath as the two continued down the path. Blackfire spotted the red archway that marked the path up the mountain and mentally sighed in relief at the excuse to get away from the old woman. Not even saying good-bye, Blackfire hurried along the path that led into a darkened cave through the mountain.

Blackfire wasn't a huge fan of narrow spaces as it greatly limited her mobility. Searching for an exit through the cave, it soon dawned upon her that the pathway that needed to be opened for her was an exit to this cave. When the cave entrance sealed behind her, Blackfire began to have doubts about this cave and wondered what challenge awaited her. The sound of movements began to echo through the cave, prompting Blackfire to slow her advance through the cave.

"Greetings young child," a hissing voice pierced through the air. Blackfire spun to come face to face with the hooded Guardian. "I am the Guardian of the Cave and if you wish to reach the mountaintop, you must get past me." The Snake drew backs it hood in preparation for the challenge.

"First a giant bear, now a blind snake. So what advantage to you having going for you?" she asked as she braced herself for the fight. "I'm guessing from that single candle that you're going to take out the lights."

"Very perceptive m'dear."

"Hate to break it to you but I've got my own light source – these are called starbolts," she informed him as she charged a starbolt in her hand. "I could just blast you with these right now, but now I get the feeling you're going to add a stupid twist to this little challenge that prevents me from using it…"

There was silence in the cave for a moment as the Snake digested her words for a moment. While he didn't exactly want to prove her right, it would defeat the challenge of the fight for her to have her own light source. "No, I won't. You may use your starbolts for this but you may not use them for a light source and if you can hit me within three shots, you may pass." The Snake reached over and snuffed the candle out, engulfing the cave in total darkness. Blackfire felt rather confident about this fight – she had spent several days improving her accuracy with her starbolts and she would make good use of her three shots. Total darkness in an echoing cavern made her two most useful senses next to useless but she wasn't going to give up as she waited for a chance to attack.

She could hear the Snake moving around her, though she couldn't pinpoint the exact direction. She tried to focus on the source of the noise, trying to decipher which direction presented the loudest noises. An increasing volume tipped her off that the Snake was closing in on her and, taking a gamble, she charged her starbolt and fired it ahead of her. It was close but the Snake was expecting it and the starbolt impacted the wall past the Guardian. The brief moment of light let Blackfire know that she was only a few inches off…so at least she wasn't completely wrong. She used the light from her last starbolt to correct her aim and quickly fired her next starbolt seconds after the first, though once again the results were similar due to a quick-thinking Guardian.

"No patience whatsoever," the Snake taunted as it continued circling around her, trying to coax her to waste her last starbolt. Blackfire didn't want to let it go to waste so she bided her time and held her ground. The Snake realized this too and used it as an opportunity to launch a few quick strikes on the Tamaranean. The Snake darted past her twice, head butting her both times with effective results.

"I hate snakes…" Blackfire groaned as she pulled herself back to her feet. Though she was aching to exact some payback, she knew she had to wait for the perfect opportunity. That was when she got her newest idea. Calming herself down, she continued holding her ground and making herself an ideal target for the Snake to strike at. Right on cue, the Snake struck again with speed and precision and while it stung greatly, Blackfire kept taking the hits. After the fourth consecutive hit, Blackfire had the Snake's attack pattern down pat and she waited for the next strike so she could end this annoying challenge. Flanking in from the rear, the Snake rushed in for another attack upon what appeared to be an unsuspecting Blackfire. At the last second though, when the Snake had committed totally to his attack, she spun about and unleashed a starbolt at point-blank range. The Snake collapsed like a rag from the blow, ending the challenge for Blackfire as the candle relit.

"A most cunning strategy," the Snake complimented as it drew its hood back up. "You may continue on your way," the Snake said as he motioned towards the opening cave door. Blackfire only groaned weakly in response as she hurried on her way out of the cave. Now on top of being tired, her whole body was aching from the blows. Many hours had passed and she had to hurry if she was going to make it to the summit in time.

* * *

"Third…time's…the charm!" Blackfire's aggravated grunts echoed throughout the mountain range as a battered hand staggered reached over the edge of the cliff and grabbed hold of it firmly. With several more grunts and a variety of profanities later, Blackfire was able to pull her battered and tired body over the edge and onto a flat surface. For somebody who's had the ability to fly since they were able to walk, forcing them to climb the side of a mountain was almost asking a person to run before walking. Twice she had lost her footing on the mountain and fell back to the bottom: the first time she thankfully was only a few meters up while the second time she was able to grab hold of the mountain again before falling too far. She figured she probably cracked another rib on the second fall to go along with the already fractured rib from her fight with the Snake; it hurt just to breath but she knew she had to keep pushing on.

"On your feet Blackfire," she barked as she struggled to get herself back on her feet. She was getting so tired now and she still had a long way to go and another challenge still left ahead of her. "Just one step at a time Blackfire…one step at a time." Blackfire kept whispering those words to herself over and over again as she managed to work herself up from a dazed stagger to a semi-conscious jog.

Now Blackfire knew she had taken a couple of knocks to her head during the trip up the mountain so it didn't surprise her that every so often Blackfire would find herself in a somewhat unfamiliar part of the mountain with no recollection of when she got to that point. Her mind was fading in and out of awareness and while her body kept moving, her mind was having trouble keeping track of everything around her. One second she was walking along the same old dusty mountain road and when her mind started paying attention to her surroundings again, Blackfire found herself half a foot from walking over a cliff.

At least her mind was still able to kick back into gear when danger was afoot. A hand shot out to catch the large red post next to her, leaving Blackfire leaning overtop of a towering bamboo forest. "That wasn't there five seconds ago…" Blackfire muttered as she glanced down at the bamboo tips that decorated the gorge ahead of her. The layer of mist made it impossible to tell how far the bamboo went but it was safe to say that it was a very, very long way down. She figured this was another ideal point for a challenge to test her mettle and that many a warrior fell to an untimely demise at this point.

"You don't look so good," a strange voice spoke from above her. Blackfire tilted her head up and saw the final Guardian, the Monkey, hanging from the red archway from his tail. "Been having a hard time climbing the mountain I take it?"

"Does the blood, bruises, and half-glazed look in my eyes make it that obvious?" Blackfire quipped sarcastically as she took a few steps back from the ledge. "I take it you're my next challenge to beat?"

"They always seem to know by this point," the Monkey remarked to himself as he hopped down onto a nearby bamboo tree. "Are you sure you wish to continue, you do not look like you are in any condition to keep fighting. If you haven't noticed…it's a very long way down. Wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself."

"I can fly so if worse comes to worse I can at least stay alive," Blackfire answered as she slowly walked out onto the bamboo forest.

"Fly huh? You do not look like you have wings."

"I also don't look like I can bench-press eight hundred pounds but I can do that with one hand," she smirked as she raised her fists in preparation for her final fight. "Before you say anything, yes I do know that the True Master won't teach me if I use those advantages and I don't plan to. Now can we get this party started?"

"Of course – I, the Guardian of the Forest, shall be your last challenge," the Monkey answered sternly as he punched one fist into his palm. Both warriors managed a confident smirk before racing towards one another. Despite all the wounds and aches in her body, Blackfire was still able to put them aside and focus on her task ahead. As he closed in, the Monkey clung firmly onto a bamboo, causing it to bend forward beneath Blackfire, catching her by surprise. When the bamboo snapped straight, the Monkey was catapulted into Blackfire. He had tucked into a tight ball, making the impact extremely forceful and knocking Blackfire off her footing. She grabbed onto a couple of the nearby bamboo trees to keep herself from falling, though it left her in a precarious position.

"This would probably be easier if every inch of my body didn't hurt," Blackfire cursed under her breath as she hurried back to the top of the forest. She quickly took to the offensive and charged the monkey with her fists flying. The Monkey was agile though, dodging each of her swings as she chased after him. When her punches caused her to lose her balance, she fell forward and caught the tip of the bamboo tree; she then used it to swing her legs around, taking out several bamboo tips out in the process as she tried to take the Monkey's support out. Her attack was just too slow though as the Monkey leapt back out of her range.

"What's the matter? Getting tired little girl?"

"I'm not through yet," Blackfire sneered, rushing in again with another flurry of assaults. The two warriors began to chase one another across the treetops, exchanging shoves, kicks, and simple tosses but with little result on either side. Blackfire tried using the Monkey's tactic against him, using a bamboo tree to launch herself into the air at her opponent. However, the Monkey leapt back at her, scoring a direct hit with both feet right into her face. The impact knocked her trajectory right off and Blackfire plummeted towards the forest tops. Blackfire reached out to grab the nearby bamboo but the exhaustion and injuries caused her vision to blur too much and she couldn't reach it. All she could do at this point was to let out a shriek as she disappeared through the mist.

"Oh dear…" the Monkey sighed softly as he waited patiently atop the forest for any signs of her. Everything was silent though except for the mountain breeze that ruffled his fur. "What a tragic waste of a young life."

Minutes ticked by and the Monkey had pretty much given up on resuming the fight with his rather unique opponent. "I'm not through with you yet!" Blackfire's voice rang out through the mist, though the Monkey saw nothing through the mist below him. He was actually not surprised to see that the girl had not given up despite all odds and her physical condition. The Monkey desperately scanned to try and find her but with no avail – at least, until a bloodied hand shot up through the mist beneath him and grabbed the Monkey by the tail. A battered Blackfire emerged from the mist, her hands and feet bloodied from friction burn after she had slid down the bamboo several meters. Tugging sharply on the Monkey's tail, she separated him from his bamboo perch and began spinning him around rapidly. Blackfire released the Monkey, sending him smashing through several bamboo trees before springing off the last one and landing hard on beneath the red archway.

"Ooo…that smarts," the Monkey groaned, still dizzy from Blackfire's impressive comeback. "You may continue." The Monkey snapped his fingers and the bamboo forest extended to span the length of the gorge, granting Blackfire access to the final leg of her journey. Wiping the excess blood off her hands, Blackfire hurried on her way – ignoring the burning pain in her feet now.

* * *

The sun was close to finally setting for the day. The orange sky stretched before Blackfire as she staggered up the last stairs that led up to the home of the True Master. Her goal was so close and yet still felt so far.

"Just keep walking Blackfire," she groaned softly, swaggering side-to-side with each step. Each step felt like having to lift a lead weight and her soles burned as though she was walking up burning coals. It was agony…but she wasn't going to give up – not now, not ever. As her former teachers taught her, the resolve of a Tamaranean can never be beaten so long as they believed in their strength. "Come on…just a few more steps." Things were reaching the point where Blackfire was literally grabbing her leg and pulling it off the ground to the next step. Her vision was starting to blur on her again…as if she didn't have enough making things tough for her already.

Blackfire missed a step, stumbling to the ground and scuffing her hands further upon the stone steps. Even not upon her feet, Blackfire kept pulling herself up each step one at a time. At long last though, Blackfire pulled herself past that last step and reached the final plateau of the might mountain. Awaiting her at the top was none other than the True Master, pleasantly surprised to see the Tamaranean still going after enduring so much. Blackfire managed to pull her eyes off the ground and up to the True Master's face.

"I…had a feeling it was you all along…" she muttered weakly before her head collapsed to the ground.

"Rest young warrior, you have endured much for today. Tomorrow, we shall start your training…"

Blackfire managed a very weak and very feint smile of triumph, holding it just long enough before she slipped into a blissful slumber. She would finally get a night's rest…for tomorrow would be a tough day of training.


	4. Chapter 3: Jubilation

**Chapter Three: Jubilation**

**"Dude, Starfire's going to be so surprised when she sees all this!"**

"Less talking Beast Boy and more hurrying, Robin said he could only keep her busy at dinner for a few more minutes."

"Raven's right. Go get the stuff out of the fridge and then keep an eye out for them on the roof."

"That'd be a little easier if you'd turn on a freaking light Cyborg!"

"If we turned on the lights now and they were on their way back they'd see us. That sort of defeats the purpose of a surprise."

"Well he could at least turn on that flashlight of his for a moment?"

"I'll just open the fridge for you," Raven sighed before the fridge door swung open and the light from within flooded the living room. It wasn't much, but at least there was enough light for them to see ahead of them. Balloons were scattered across the entire room and a giant banner with the words 'Happy 18th Birthday Starfire' written across it in large, bold, sparkled letters was hung across the living room window. Cyborg was busy organizing the entertainment with stacks of various music CDs and movies – all favourites of Starfire. Raven worked quickly to get the remainder of the helium balloons filled before their guest of honour returned home while Beast Boy searched the fridge to find the cake they had specially prepared for Star.

"Where do we keep the candles?" Beast Boy asked as he set the vanilla, twin-layered cake down upon the counter.

"Cyborg will handle the candles. Last time you handled fire you reduced the couch to ashes," Raven remarked, fitting another balloon on their helium tank. Beast Boy merely grumbled under his breath as he left the cake on the counter and headed on his way to the rooftop to keep an eye out for Robin and Starfire. "Do you think we have enough balloons?" Raven asked once Beast Boy was out of the room. She released the balloon she had just tied, letting it drift up to the ceiling to join the rainbow cluster of its kin.

"Maybe a couple more, that spot over there by the door is looking a little bare." Cyborg headed over to the kitchen and started searching through the kitchen drawers to find the birthday candles. "Did we get any word back from our other special guest?"

"She last called this morning to confirm the date. She said she'd be here – also said she'd bring some gifts as well. Maybe she'll make some more rothulk," Raven answered, promptly remembering the strong Tamaranean drink that she shared with her friends six months ago. The boys might not have been able to find a taste for it, but the girls took a liking to it, though Raven did somewhat regret it the next morning. Hopefully, this night would not result in similar regrets.

"And hopefully we won't end up with another disaster," Cyborg chuckled lightly, though only briefly as a harsh glare from Raven silenced him. Cyborg had momentarily forgotten that Raven had lost a very important person in her life. "Uh…sorry about that. I shouldn't have mentioned that."

"It's…okay," Raven said softly, quickly calming down. "I'd prefer if you didn't make a joke out of that incident."

"I won't, though I can't really say the same about Beast Boy."

"Don't worry, he knows," Raven said as she tethered a handful of balloons together with some red ribbons before positioning them carefully next to the main doors.

Before the conversation could continue, Cyborg's phone buzzed for his attention. Considering the circumstances, both of them knew that the call was one of two possibilities: one of their special guests was on their way and it likely wasn't going to be the late one. "This is Eagle Eye calling Tinman. Tinman, do you read me? Over." Both Raven and Cyborg simply sighed lightly at the sound of Beast Boy's voice.

"Knock that off BB or I'll revoke your communicator privileges again. Now what is it?" Cyborg finally answered, suppressing his annoyed tone.

"Fine. They're on their way. I give you about five minutes to get everything ready."

"We're almost set, get back here quickly," Cyborg sent his last message before hurrying back to put the final touches to the cake. "Everything set on your end Raven?"

"I'm finished over here. Close the fridge door, we don't want them seeing the light." A few moments later, the fridge door was slammed shut and darkness returned to the living room. They both hurried to take cover behind the couches – all that was left was to wait. The sound of scuffing little feet and the distinctive noise of a morphing Beast Boy told the others that they were now all in position. Patiently they waited; the minutes ticked by slowly, painfully slow in fact.

"What's taking them so long?" Cyborg finally muttered.

"Last I saw, they were chatting by the front door," a familiar fourth voice suddenly spoke up in the dark. The three Titans let out a startled yelp before recognizing the voice.

"Blackfire? When'd you get here?" Cyborg remarked in disbelief.

"About five minutes ago. I saw that the lights were off so I figured that you were all out doing your super hero stuff. I figured I would get things set up here but I guess I was wrong."

"Would you two keep quiet?" Raven hushed them both just in time as footsteps began to echo through the Tower. The indistinctive chatter grew louder and clearer as Starfire was unsuspectingly led down the hall. Starfire's characteristic giggle could be heard between pauses in the footsteps. It wasn't until they were on the other side of the door that their words could finally be made out.

"Uh, Starfire…I'm not sure if this is a good idea at the moment…" Robin sounded as though he was protesting something. Whatever it was, the Titans in wait were at least relieved to hear that Robin still remembered his mission.

"Come on Robin. Our friends have not called yet informing us of their victory," Starfire replied, apparently still believing the cover story that the other Titans had to go into town to handle a small bank robbery. "You have treated me so wonderfully tonight Robin. Please allow me an opportunity to repay your kindness."

"It's your birthday Star, it's supposed to be about what you want – not what you think I deserve."

"Alright, then this is what I want." There wasn't any further conversation, leaving the other Titans a little puzzled as to what was going on. However, there wasn't time to ponder as the door slid open and the lights flicked on in the room. Upon their cue, the Titans sprang out from their hidings spots.

"Surprise!" They all shouted in unison, though all of them trailed off at the end upon seeing Starfire and Robin. The couple was entwined in a tight embrace with Starfire's arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist…and a couple of articles of clothing laying on the floor behind them – namely Robin's cape and Starfire's gloves since the surprise halted their actions. Their lips, once joined together, had parted upon the jubilant voices of their comrades with Starfire's face now a bright red.

"I'm not going to lie - this is exactly what it looks like," Robin finally broke the silence as the couple quickly relaxed their postures. Starfire was still extremely embarrassed and quickly gathered her things off the ground.

"Normally this would've been the point where I tell you two to get a room but I'm afraid of the possibility that this might just be that room," Raven added.

"Is…this what I think it is?" Starfire spoke up, managing to suppress her embarrassment. Her eyes looked hopeful as she looked about the room, seeing the banners and balloons and the luscious cake upon the kitchen counter. "Oh my friends! I knew you would not forget the anniversary of my birth!"

"Neither did I," Blackfire added as she made her appearance by springing over and leaning against the back of the couch. "Happy Birthday little sister."

"Sister!" Starfire exclaimed as she raced over and hugged her sister tightly.

"Gah…not so tight! I'm still tender," Blackfire squeaked before wriggling free of her sister's embrace.

"Tender? What are you talking a…what has happened to you?" Starfire had taken a step back to look at Blackfire more thoroughly, seeing the bandaged hands and forehead. She didn't even see the array of bruises and bandages that were beneath Blackfire's armor.

"Just some rough training, that's all," Blackfire said as she downplayed her injuries. "Brought you a present…and this time it's not stolen." She reached into a bag that lay on the ground next to her and pulled out a small velvet box. Opening the box up, she revealed the small green sparkling gemstone necklace that resided within it. "It's called an emerald, I heard it was a fancy gem so I figured I could get you one…you know, to make up for the last time I got you a green gem." Starfire's eyes lit up at the sight of the emerald, reminding her much of the Centauri Moon Diamond that Blackfire had once presented her years ago.

"Oh sister, it is beautiful!" Starfire exclaimed as her sister carefully hung the gemstone around Starfire's neck.

"Okay everybody, it's time for the cake!" Cyborg called out as he set the eloquent cake upon the kitchen table. Eighteen blue candles decorated the surface of the baked delight, each one tipped with a red flame. Everyone aside from Robin and Blackfire hurried over to the cake to watch the birthday girl blow out the candles.

"I take it your training went okay?" Robin asked casually as he leaned against the couch next to Blackfire.

"Pretty good eye-opener," Blackfire replied. "Learned more about myself than fighting. Um…thanks for telling me about the True Master. Now I assume you did something very nice for my sister earlier today…she always was a shy one growing up. Just try and keep things…you know, clean between you and her. If you take things too quickly you'll…risk hurting her."

"Trust me, she's the one going faster than I was planning on taking things," Robin answered before they both headed over to join the others for cake.

* * *

Though it was a hefty sized cake, the six teenagers made short work of the baked good with large slices handed around the table. There was plenty of laughter and joking around the entire table as the Titans reminisced on past events and Blackfire shared stories of embarrassing moments for Starfire. The Titans peppered Blackfire a number of questions pertaining to her trip across the globe – where she's been, who she's met, and what she did. Of course, Blackfire spared no details in her stories, exaggerating some points in her usual boastful manner and keeping the Titans enthralled with her tales. The conversations eventually carried on as they relaxed with a few movies on the big screen. Though most of the film was missed because of the talking, they all still enjoyed the flicks. Oddly enough, Blackfire was really enjoying her time with the Titans. Despite having spent six months traveling around the world, she only ever really made acquaintances with people and reunited briefly with old friends from six months ago – she never really made any new friends and more importantly she never got a real chance to party with friends.

It was hard to believe but Blackfire did consider the Titans her friends now. She never really did hold any grudges against them to begin with. The most she had was some mild disdain and that had stemmed from their association with her sister. Since the conflict between the sisters had been resolved, Blackfire was able to learn to appreciate their company and why Starfire seemed to like being with them so much. Blackfire still felt more like a guest than a friend to them though but that was to be expected – her relationship to the Titans likely wouldn't exist if it weren't for her sister. Blackfire was basically piggybacking her sister's social circles. Eventually, she'd need to find her own circle of friends. However, that could wait for another day.

"Hey Starfire, you still have that old bottle of Rifilian wine in your room?" Blackfire asked, changing the focus of the conversation.

"Uh…I think so. I haven't seen that bottle in a long time. I was planning on saving that for a special occasion."

"Well what's more special than today? You go and fetch it – I've brought some more local spirits with me," Blackfire reached back for her duffle bag and pulled out a pair of large bottles. "One's called vodka…and I forget the name of the other one. I've been carrying these things around since I visited Russia but I haven't really had somebody to share it with." Starfire was a little reluctant at first but eventually headed off to fetch the bottle of Tamaranean liquor from her room – another piece of home that she had brought with her since her last visit. The other Titans recalled the last time that they had sampled Tamaranean liquors and the only one who had actually enjoyed it was Raven. Still, since it was Starfire's birthday they were willing to give it another shot.

"Let's not get carried away this time, okay? There's still a city out there," Robin reminded the others. The last thing they needed was an emergency popping up in the middle of the night and they were all too hung-over to deal with it.

"You take life way too seriously Robin. Prognosis: you need to take the first shot," Blackfire smirked as she put an arm around Robin's shoulder and held up one of the bottles to him.

"It'll loosen you right up," Cyborg agreed as he returned form the kitchen with a handful of glasses and set them down on the coffee table. Robin watched speechlessly as Blackfire poured him out a shot. The other Titans watched with smiles plastered across their face as the glass was shoved into Robin's face and they all waited for him to take it. Starfire was just coming back with her bottle of Tamaranean liquor when Robin finally succumbed to the peer pressure and downed the contents of the glass. A clearly strained expression covered his face as he forced the bitter liquor down his throat, which ended with a slight gasp.

"Pass the bottle sis, I haven't had a good drink of Rifilian in a long time," Blackfire hurried for her sister to join them on the couch. Starfire sat next to Robin, forcing him to sit between the two Tamaranean sisters, before handing Blackfire the bottle of purplish liquor.

"Pour me a glass as well," Raven asked politely, sliding her glass over to Blackfire. Three glasses were filled with the alien liquor while the other Titans helped themselves to the other liquors that Blackfire brought. Blackfire motioned for everybody's attention and raised her glass in preparation for a toast.

"I don't really need to remind you guys why we're all here tonight. Eighteen years ago I went from being the center of contempt and disdain from my entire population to sitting in the shadow of the wailing little princess named Koriand'r. I won't lie when I tell you all that I cursed that day…I figured I was going to sit in the background forever but instead when I got older I was charged with the task of making sure my little sister was taken care of so she would see days like today. From wild animals, bad weather, her first combat lessons, and the first time she experienced a Gordanian invasion I was always there to make sure our little princess didn't get in over her head. It was tiring, tough, and thankless…but to be honest, I wouldn't trade those few years for the world. It wasn't until our unexpected trip to Daluram that I realized that back then…I had needed her as much as she had needed me. Of course those days are gone now and she doesn't have a need for a guardian angel…or at least that's what I assumed until I heard the stories of the fun you've had here on Earth. I'm pretty sure you guys can attest to how much of a handful she can be." There was a round of chuckles and nods from the others before she continued. "Even still, your unbridled optimism, never-ending energy, unconditional compassion, and childish naivety have always helped to keep our spirits up day in and day out. Here's to your Starfire…ya big pain in the butt." There were chuckles all around the table before they clanked their glasses together and downed their drinks.

* * *

The festivities had continued long into the night with a marathon of movies and more stories from each of them. There was a fair bit of drinking all around and everybody got a little drunk that night, though some were drunker than others. Beast Boy, being somewhat of a lightweight, was the first to succumb to the liquor's effects and passed out on the couch shortly after midnight. The others had gathered around the coffee table to watch a sort of duel between the two heavy drinkers of the night – Cyborg and Blackfire. Both were hutched over the coffee table with a number of empty shot glasses in front of them, staring and smirking at one another.

"What's the matter Cyborg? You're three shots behind. Don't tell me the big ol' drinking machine is starting to run out of steam," Blackfire teased as she picked a full shot glass and drank it down. "Four shots behind."

"Just because you're drinking faster than me doesn't mean you're going to end up drinking more than me. I just need to outlast you and that I know I can do," Cyborg replied, pouring out his next shot and drinking it down quickly, which was followed by cheers from his teammates.

"Pretty confident in yourself, aren't ya?" Blackfire chuckled softly while filling her shot glass again. "I'll take the moment to remind you that drinking on Tamaran is very common even from a young age. I was drinking things like rothulk and Rifilian wine when you were still all meat."

"Yeah, well I have a cybernetically-enhanced liver."

"And I've got nine stomachs, so the alcohol seeps into my system slower than for you humans."

"Yeah, well now I'm two shots behind," Cyborg quickly drank his next shot.

"You only get to brag when you're actually ahead of me," Blackfire raised her glass in front of Cyborg teasingly. "And this will put me back to three over you." Blackfire downed the glass with the same speed as the previous dozen shots. Time trekked on as the two tanks continued taking shots with fatigue and intoxication slowing their drinking rate. By three in the morning, Cyborg and Blackfire were the only two still awake…and still drinking, though there was barely anything left in their bottles. Both of them were having trouble keeping upright in their seats, though Blackfire was showing more signs of her intoxication.

"We're neck and neck now Blackfire," Cyborg taunted though a few of his words were slurred together.

"Shaddup," Blackfire snapped back. "I'm nut through wisshhh you yet…" When Blackfire tried to point her finger at Cyborg to reinforce her point, she accidentally hit the table with enough force that she tipped back in her chair and fell to the floor. "Okie, may…maybe I am done wishhh you."

"You alright der Black?"

"Could you do me a favor and carry me to za bashroom…I shink I'm gunna toss za cookies."

"Only cause I'm a nice guy," Cyborg answered as he swaggered up from his seat. It took him a few moments to keep himself on two feet with coming close to losing his balance. Once he was able to stand for more than five seconds without swaying, Cyborg picked up Blackfire and carried her over to the bathroom so that she may empty her nine stomachs.

Hunched over the porcelain shrine, Blackfire groaned uncomfortably after empty a portion of her first stomach. "Shouldn't haf eaten sho much," she grumbled softly.

"Shouldn't have drank so much," Cyborg added as he stood behind Blackfire with her hair in one hand.

"Oo…here comes anudder," she moaned before sticking her head into the toilet again to spill her contents. It took longer than the previous time before she pulled her head out of the porcelain throne and flopped onto her back below Cyborg. "Thanks…that really helped."

"Always glad to help."

"You know…it's a real shame yer not a Tamaranean…if you were I'd probably go out with you in a heartbeat."

"Hey! What's wrong with being human?"

"They're weak…physically I mean. You're frail – meager strength, earthbound, and virtually no means of defending themselves without weapons. Most humans wouldn't last more than a few hours on my world…well, you would but you're not totally human."

"Only just noticed?" he sarcastically replied as he sat down on the ground next to Blackfire. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me…though I doubt you'd be very interested even if I was your race, not looking like this at least."

"Don't sell yourself so short. I know it seems…a little hopeless what with your uh…circumstances. Trust me though - on my planet you'd be a prime catch…with or without the armor coating. You just gotta believe in yourself and…uh, um…I lost my train of thought…"

"You are so drunk right now," Cyborg chuckled lightly. There wasn't a reply though, as Blackfire had fallen asleep seconds ago. He gently rolled her over onto her side so she wouldn't choke if she vomited again while she slept before heading back to his room so he could rest and recharge.

* * *

Ringing…why was there ringing at this hour of the day? Raven was the first one to be stirred from her sleep at the sound of a ringing from the computer. Her eyes slowly fluttered up, though quickly shut tight from the sunlight glistening through the windows. Several minutes passed before Raven finally managed to regain her senses and keep her eyes open indefinitely. Her head was pounding but her mind was focusing on what she was leaning against, for it wasn't a couch cushion – it was too firm for that.

Her eyes drifted over to discover that she had fallen asleep leaning up against Robin; in fact, Robin had been turned into the pillow for Raven and Starfire. She quickly straightened herself and got off the couch, thankfully without waking up anybody else. Raven didn't have much time to think about it as the computer's beeping caught her attention again – it was an incoming communication. Staggering over to the computer, she sat down before answering the incoming call.

A familiar face appeared on the screen: the shorthaired French brunette – Jacqueline L'Armor. The Titans had kept in touch with the honourary Titan after she assisted the Titans in escaping Daluram and defeating Kronos six months ago. Though originally from France, she remained in Jump City to start her own solo hero career, which had been progressing slowly but steadily. Normally, Jacqueline's presence meant that something was up and that she was looking for help in handling an above-average crime that was a little over her head but the concerned expression told Raven that something worse was up.

"Oh zank God you people have finally answered!"

"Not so loud Jacq," Raven groaned, rubbing the side of her pounding head tenderly.

"Oh…sorry. Listen, I'm sorry about calling so early but I have just gotten word from some of my friends back home – zere was a huge disaster in my homeland!"

"Listen…I don't know how muc help we can be right now, we're sort of…incapacitated at the moment."

"Ze Adamantine Prison was attacked two nights ago." The words struck Raven like a flurry of pointed rocks, leaving her unable to say anything in response. "I'm forwarding you ze coordinates now. Please hurry."


	5. Chapter 4: The Adamantine Prison

**Chapter Four: The Adamantine Prison**

**"Are you sure it was a good idea leaving Blackfire behind at the tower?"**

"That girl is in no condition to be going anywhere Robin," Cyborg answered. "Not that any of us are in a good condition to be going off playing detective. My head is pounding, that damn sunlight is too bright, and I don't think Beast Boy's even woken up." Sure enough, their friend was still half-asleep in his cockpit of the T-ship.

Having heeded Jacqueline's request, the Titans had set out to rendezvous with her at the coordinates she had given them – the top secret Adamantine Prison located deep in the forests of southern France. The high tech facility was supposed to house the frozen villains of the Titans indefinitely…it was supposed to be impenetrable. It would seem that everybody had underestimated the resolve of their enemies. Even at full speed though, it would still be several hours before the Titans would reach their destinations. So with their ship on autopilot and the Atlantic Ocean below them, the Titans could only sit back, wait, and hope they feel better by the time they arrive. None of them had any idea of what they might encounter at the facility but they knew that whoever it was had to be particularly strong to break through all the defenses. Worried would be putting their mutual feelings lightly.

"Remind me never to drink again…I still feel sick," Raven groaned.

"Airsickness bags are located in the compartment to your left and whatever you do, don't yuke all over the control systems." Cyborg made sure that everybody else in the ship got his message, since Raven was likely not to be the only one feeling ill.

"Did Jacqueline give you any other information about this incident Raven?" Robin asked, just trying to keep people talking as to pass the time.

"Not much except that a routine patrol saw the damaged base. There was a blizzard in the region the prison was located two nights ago so there was a major blackout in communications between the prison and any nearby facilities. She also said that the French government investigators would likely be there by the time we arrive."

"So why are we needed anyways? We don't need to go there just to get a situation report."

"Because, Cyborg, that prison housed almost every enemy of ours," Robin sternly remarked, that determination of his rising up in him as always. " If there's any evidence as to who did this and why, I want to look at it for myself. I want you all to search that prison inside and out."

"The security surveillance system is probably our best bet but I get the feeling that whoever we're dealing with is smart enough to not leave that in one piece," Cyborg added. The Titans were growing restless as time moved on. A situation had developed and they were all forced to sit and wait while on route – a set of circumstances that always led to rising tensions. They were fortunate that Beast Boy was still too out of it to realize the gravity of the situation for her, of all of them, would be under the most duress at the possibility of a jail break for the Brotherhood of Evil were among the prisoners held there.

Robin was looking forward to being able to catch a quick nap before they landed. Sadly, those desires would have to be postponed as green dot appeared on their radar accompanied by a distinct beeping noise. "Looks like we've finally caught up to Jacqueline," Cyborg announced as he guided the T-ship over to the other aircraft a couple hundred meters off their port side. The design of the aircraft was that of a small long-range transport ship used typically by European governments and military forces, most likely the French government in this case. Pulling up alongside the aircraft, Robin glanced over and could see Jacqueline sitting in the cockpit. Jacqueline glanced back to the Titans and waved to them cheerfully as always.

"Zis is Sky Arrow calling ze Teen Titans, do you read me? Over," Jacqueline's voice called over the radio.

"This is Robin, we read you loud and clear Jacqueline. Since when did you fly airplanes? Over."

"I'm just co-piloting actually, zough I am fully qualified to fly small aircrafts," Jacqueline answered with a light chuckle. Despite the serious situation, Jacqueline was always one to keep in good spirits and find time to have a laugh. "Listen, I appreciate you coming out to help me with this on such short notice. Normally I'd handle it myself but this has 'big trouble' written all over it."

"What can you tell us about the Adamantine Prison?"

"Eh…one second, lemme just pull up ze file." Some shuffling papers followed Jacqueline's voice. "Here we go! Ze Adamantine Prison was a joint project by ze major super powers as a more permanent prison facility for ze big villains of ze world. It is commanded by Major Guillet, contains zree companies of heavy infantry plus a series of automated defense cannons including anti-aircraft missiles, laser turrets, and force fields. Zere is ze main compound that holds newer prisoners brought in from across Europe and North America and ze vault houses ze villains zat put on ice by you guys. Ze initial report said zat zere was heavy causalities but I could not get any accurate numbers.

"Who the heck could've done this?" Robin muttered quietly.

"Somebody who knows what zey're doing."

* * *

"Places looks fine from the outside," Cyborg commented as the T-ship circled above the relatively small aboveground compound of the Adamantine Prison. Most of the complex was underground and the above ground facilities consisted of a few garages, the main bunker, barracks, a supply depot, and a thick steel wall around the prison with multiple guard towers. In the courtyard, the Titans could see several trucks parked with personnel working hard as they handled the scores of bodies left buried beneath the snow. Since they couldn't land in the courtyard as the scene was still being processed for evidence, the Titans were forced to park in a clearing near the woods several meters from the perimeter wall.

Jacqueline had parted ways from the Titans earlier as she had to land at the nearby airbase and then catch a ride to the prison. Her parting words were that she would meet them at the Prison very shortly. The harsh blizzard from nights before left the entire landscape coated in freshly fallen snow but today the weather was very sunny and cool. However, the Titans were not alone as they exited from their ship. Up in the treetops, an unseen observer awoke from its slumber. Even the rustling of the trees as the figure lifted its head to see what was happening just below it. The unseen observer watched closely as the Titans headed to the prison, using advanced sensors to listen in on their conversation and zoom in optically. Its focus shifted when it detected more people closing in – it was Jacqueline and an accompanying officer, who were hurrying to join the Titans.

"It is such a relief to finally see you my friends," Jacqueline called out as the two groups joined up. "Titans, I would like to introduce you to Lieutenant Colonel Henry, he's heading ze investigation at the Adamantine Prison and he's also a good friend my family." The older officer looked to be in his late forties with very short, light brown hair and wearing a finely kept army uniform underneath a winter coat. Though he had the stern and stoic look typical of senior officers, he still managed a friendly smile when introduced to the Titans.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Titans," the Lt. Colonel greeted with a slightly different French accent than Jacqueline's. "If you'll follow me I will brief you on what we have found so far." The Titans all nodded and followed the officer towards the perimeter wall. "Now, where you landed is where we suspected the attacking force landed their drop ship – we found about a half-dozen bodies this morning."

"Really?" Robin remarked, looking back to the T-ship.

"Yes. I'm afraid the blizzard provided the perfect cover to commit such an atrocity. The poor visibility and diminished radar capabilities made it easy for them to get a drop ship this close. When they left, the blizzard covered their tracks and the bodies. It's going to take us days just to uncover all the bodies and there's little chance we'll find any other evidence they might have left behind." When they reached the perimeter wall, the officer showed them a pair of blood splatters against the wall with small, metal javelins embedded into the wall. Each javelin was only about a foot long and three-quarters of an inch thick with a perfectly smooth, shimmering silver metallic surface. "This was where we found two of the perimeter guards. We believe they were the first ones attacked by an infiltrating team."

"An infiltrating team?" Robin asked, shifting his attention back and forth between the javelins and the talking officer. "Was this before or after the drop ship?"

"Though the radars were hindered, they would've been able to hit the ship with a SAM before it landed – but all the SAM launchers were disabled, along with communication systems, guard towers, a bulk of the automated defenses, and the main power grid. The current popular theory is that an infiltration team first swept in, sabotaged a number of key systems, which allowed the drop ship carrying the main attack force to get close and land."

"Mind if we take one of these?"

"Go right ahead, there are more of them inside the compound." Robin gave a few hapless tugs on the javelin with no success before Starfire stepped in and finished the job with her alien strength. There were still speckles of blood on the tip so Cyborg was careful in bagging the sample and storing it in a case he had with him. "Anyways, once most of the security systems were sabotaged, the drop ship had a clear path to the main gates and into the courtyard. Now the courtyard is where things started to really go downhill." The Lt. Colonel's voice was grimmer as he motioned for the others to follow him into the prison courtyard.

Through red-tinted lenses, the Titans' unseen stalker continued watching until it lost sight of them as they entered the compound. The trees rustled gently before a cloud of snow was knocked up from something large landing in the snow. "This is SA-1 to command: our guests have arrived…right on schedule," its shadowy, digitized voice reported over a satellite communication system. "SA-2: maintain visual."

"Affirmative," a near-identical sounding voice replied over the channel. Atop of one of the southern guard towers, a second cloaked operative stirred to live and carefully moved to the edge of the guard tower. It had a perfect view of the Titans as they walked down the center of the courtyard with the Lt. Colonel.

"There was no damage or signs of forced entry to the main gates, so we believe that the attack force scaled the walls, likely to avoid the defensive line that the company formed in preparation for them," the officer continued with his explanations. All around the Titans, soldiers were tirelessly to uncover as much evidence as possible, pulling the frozen remains of soldiers out of the snow along with equipment and weapons. "So far we've found most of what used to be A-Company: roughly 75 men strong and we've pulled about 61 bodies since this morning…and not one sign of who did this to them."

"Considering how bad the weather was, they probably couldn't see much more than ten feet ahead of them without proper equipment," Cyborg commented as he looked to the trucks loaded with recovered weapons and explosives. "Judging by all these blast marks on the wall, I'm guessing they were shooting without any idea of where their targets were." Cyborg directed the other Titans' attention to the black scorch marks that decorated the wall like spots on a Dalmatian.

"Zis wasn't a scrimmage…it was a damn massacre. Zey didn't stand a chance," Jacqueline cursed bitterly under her breath. "What about reinforcements? Zere were two other companies stationed at zis prison."

"Remember that infiltration team I talked about? The likely infiltrated the bunker before the courtyard fighting even began. B-Company tried to reinforce A-company in the courtyard but they ambushed by the infiltration team…" Henry trailed off after that with one fist tightly clenched in rage. "What happened in this courtyard…was nothing compared to what happened to the other two companies." It was evident that just recalling the sight of the ambushes inside the prison was aggravating the Lt. Colonel and it took him a few moments to finally calm down enough to talk politely with the heroes. Before he could continue, a younger officer approached the group with an urgent bounce in his step. Unfortunately for the Titans, the two officers discussed things in French, leaving them in the dark until the Lt. Colonel explained the message to them. "It would seem that our boys have finally gotten the mainframe finally operating again…or at least as operational as it'll ever get."

"Maybe we'll be lucky and there will be some security footage still on it," Cyborg sounded pleased to hear the news.

"Would it be possible for us to access the mainframe?" Robin asked.

"You are free to help as you see fit," the officer looked to his watch before sighing quietly to himself. "As much as I would like it, it'd take me all day just to walk you through the entire prison explaining everything we've found and I've got to explain this damned mess to my superiors in about four hours. You have my permission to explore the compound as you see fit – if you have questions, look for an officer and they'll be able to answer them for you. My lieutenant here will show you the way to the main command room; you should be able to access the main computer mainframe from there. I will be heading to the inner vault to speak with my captain so if any of you wish to tag along with me you are welcomed to."

"Thank you Lt. Colonel. I promise you that we'll get to the bottom of this," Robin politely thanked the commanding officer. "Cyborg and I will head to the command room to check the computer systems. Raven and Beast Boy – I want you two to search above ground for any more evidence. Lastly, Jacqueline and Starfire will continue with the Lt. Colonel to get as much information as possible and search the vault for more information." The others agreed to the plan and they soon parted ways to carry out their orders.

* * *

"From our initial analysis, the command center was attacked shortly after the two companies were destroyed. All the weapons belonging to the guards and officers were fully loaded and judging by forensics…the command crew was executed," the junior officer explained to Robin and Cyborg after he showed them the way to the command room. The broken steel door to the command room still lay on the ground next to the doorframe. Only a handful of technicians were still working in the command center, trying to repair the damaged computer terminals that were riddled with gunshots. All the technicians looked over to the two Titans for a moment before returning to their work. The few screens that were still working were completely covered in static while the handful of connected laptops weren't having much luck recovering the files from the computer. "Any luck you guys?"

"Afraid not – they hacked into the mainframes and just trashed the entire security hard drives. Most of the secondary and primary systems are untouched…just anything that might've had some evidence of their presence," a young computer technician explained. "Most of the records and logs are corrupted beyond belief. We found a small packet of data that wasn't completely corrupted and we're in the process of trying to pull it off the mainframe and restore it."

"Give me a shot at it," Cyborg said as he stepped between the technician and his laptop. His mechanical fingers began blazing across the keyboard, soon grabbing the attention of the other technicians who could sit back and watch in awe. "The data file is not too damaged surprisingly. Just need to get it off the mainframe like so…and then run some simple restoration programs and repair the damage." Recovering damaged data was like putting together a simple jigsaw puzzle for Cyborg – all it took was patience and a general idea of what the end product looks like. In this case, an uncorrupted data file. "Looks like a still from some of the security footage – maybe we'll get lucky and get a mugshot of who we're dealing with." There was a moment of silence as Cyborg reached the data recovery's homestretch. "And…finished! Time to cross your fingers folks…"

Robin, the junior officer, and all the technicians huddled around the laptop screen, watching as the image began compiling on the screen a single row of pixels at a time. The image wasn't perfect and there were pockets of black pixels where the data was lost but the image slowly started to come together. "Looks like somebody's standing in front of the camera. Could it be a solder?" Robin commented as the top of what appeared to be a gray helmet.

"Not one of our troops, look at that extension thing on the side of the helm," a technician pointed to the elongated metal extension that went upwards from the side of the helmet. "That looks like an sensor antenna, sort of like the ones our soldier's mobile sensor packs carry…but it's on their back, not their helmet." It took almost two seemingly never-ending minutes for the partially distorted image to finally load. The response across the group was surprise accompanied by a quizzical stare. The image showed an unknown mechanical humanoid, standing roughly eight feet in height – its body very large and covered in rounded armor plates. What they thought was the top of a helmet was in fact the being's head, sculpted in the shape of a helmet with a sensor antenna on one side of the helm and a pair of thin communication antennae on the other. Five glowing blues eyes, arranged in a 'V' shape, stared back at the security camera that took the picture and in its hands was a rifle carbine of some sort aimed directly at the camera. The humanoid had broad shoulders with large, rounded shoulder plates, and closely connected white and gray metal plates. Across its broad chest was a symbol of an upper-case lambda, though no known factions bore such an emblem. The image didn't provide many other details about the assailant, but it was easy to tell that this being was strong and tough.

"Download the image Cyborg," Robin instructed before turning to one of the technicians. "I know this is a little short-noticed but would it be possible for us to take the hard drive with us? We might have more luck recovering some of the security and sensor logs with our computer."

" Go right ahead," the junior officer replied. "Even if we did find something…there's so much red tape when it comes to an investigation for us. We know you'd find answers much, much faster than we ever could."

"We appreciate your cooperation," Robin smiled in relief.

"And if you don't mind me adding: please find those sons of bitches and you make them pay for what they have done here."

"We'll get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you." The junior officer then waved over one of the technicians. "Go to the mainframe and fetch the Titans the security system hard drive."

* * *

"What is that smell?" Starfire asked casually as she, Jacqueline, and the Lt. Colonel entered the inner vault. Blood stains still covered the floor but thankfully the bodies had already been cleared out, as neither Starfire nor Jacqueline would've had the stomach to handle such a violent scene.

"Zat'd be ze smell of death," Jacqueline quipped, sighing softly to herself as she gazed at the blood-splattered floor. Jacqueline wished she could've said that she'd seen a more nauseating scene before, but sadly this one took the cake.

"The Major's security card was used to open the door. C-Company appeared to have formed a standard wide-arc defensive line but how the enemy broke through without any apparent causality is beyond me. There were three peculiarities that caught my attention when I was briefed on this scene." Peculiarities were always good so the two girls were quickly interested in what the officer had to share with them. "First one isn't really a peculiarity but still…C-Company suffered the same kind of casualties as B-Company: metal javelins and bladed weapons." Starfire and Jacqueline both quickly realized that this meant the enemies had to cross the seven-meter open space between the door and C-Company and apparently did it without much difficulty. "Secondly, though the autopsy hasn't been finished yet, it appeared that they had purposefully kept the company CO alive."

"Why's zat?"

"Cause he appeared to have bled out," the Lt. Colonel explained as he pointed towards the largest stain of blood on the ground. "Since the CO had the second access card to the Inner Vault, he was likely interrogated for it. The last thing that really caught my attention was something they left behind…" He motioned for the others to follow him into the Inner Vault.

"I thought they did not leave any evidence behind," Starfire asked, being the first to voice the same confusion that Jacqueline was feeling. The Lt. Colonel didn't answer them at first, letting the suspense build for a few more moments as he led them into the Inner Vault. The Inner Vault, which housed the actual prisoners from the battle with the Brotherhood of Evil, consisted of a long, narrow hallway flanked by special holding cells on either side, all of which were smashed open. Machines in the wall that monitored the environmental controls to ensure that the prisoners remained in their frozen states were surprisingly left intact. Their destruction would've thawed all of the prisoners, but instead they had been thawed individually with other tools.

"Not so much evidence, just something they didn't do that struck me as odd. Of all of the villains housed here, who do you think is the most dangerous?"

"That would be the Brotherhood of Evil."

"That would be my answer too. So why then, Miss Starfire, are they the only ones left behind?" The Lt. Colonel showed the two the last cells in the Inner Vault, in which the four members of the Brotherhood of Evil still encased in the icy prisons that the Titans left them almost a year ago.

"Of all the people in this prison, I would have guessed that the Brotherhood of Evil would be the target of choice," Starfire pondered. "I do not wish to bring about the jinx, but why would the most dangerous prisoners be ignored?"

"Maybe zey're too dangerous. I mean if I wanted to, say, conquer ze world I'm not going to let free people who might have zeir own plans for domination. Let's not worry about who was left behind and focus on ze ones zat are running free."

* * *

The sun was starting to set over the horizon when the Titans finally gathered in the courtyard to prepare for their trip back home. The air was getting colder now and the clouds loomed with the prospect of flurries or rain in the near future. The weather would only get worse so they needed to leave for home soon, not that bad weather had ever really stopped their T-ship before.

"Have you guys found anything of use?" Robin asked, wanting to get information shared right away.

"All we have found was that the Brotherhood of Evil have not been freed," Starfire reported, much to everyone's, especially Beast Boy's, relief. "The Lt. Colonel said that a medical reporting on the CO of Company C will be sent to us once it is prepared." Starfire and Jacqueline's findings, while relieving, were likely not to help them find who was responsible for this attack.

"It took us a while but Beast Boy managed to dig this up," Raven added, showing Robin a small metal shard in a plastic bag. "It's a metal fragment but nobody can figure out what it's from. It's too large to be a grenade and there's no damaged or missing vehicles on-site." While not as uplifting, at least this find could bring them closer to better understanding what they were dealing with. If they were lucky, the metal fragment might be from their mystery machines that the security camera caught.

"Cyborg managed to recover this from their computers," Robin introduced the others to their apparent enemy, holding a printout of the security photo for them to see. They all took a long, hard look at the image and just scratched their heads in confusion. None of them knew what they were really looking at but it didn't look too friendly. "Cyborg's also taking the hard drive back to the Tower to see if he can pull anything else from it."

"I'm going to be staying here for a few more days to help with further investigation. Zey are bringing in some heavier equipment and zey're going to be taking all ze snow out of the courtyard to look for evidence," Jacqueline explained as she stepped back from the Titans. It had been a while since she was in her homeland, so Jacqueline was planning on using this as a decent excuse to visit family and friends when she has the time. It was a good idea for one of them to stay to continue overseeing the investigation at the sight while the Titans returned to Jump City to analyze their evidence. Besides, most of the villains freed were likely to return to Jump City to carry on where they had left off months ago and the Titans would be needed to protect their city. "I bid you farewell my friends. I will keep you informed of anything we find."

"We'll be in touch," Robin said as they parted ways and the Titans headed on their way back to the T-ship.

"Now that I think about it, there was one thing that left me a little confused," Cyborg mused aloud as they exited the prison.

"And what's that?" Beast Boy was the first to ask.

"Well when I analyzed the data file on their hard drive, it was surprisingly very lightly damaged despite the thorough job they did corrupting the remainder of the hard drive. A lot less than it should have if it was done by somebody who a general idea of what they were doing, which the rest of the data damage suggested."

"Um…could you repeat that, this time without the confusion?" Beast Boy asked, not surprisingly confused by Cyborg's technical jargon.

"What I'm saying is that the chances of that one single image out of a whole hard drive worth of pictures and sensor logs surviving such a wide-sweeping hard drive corruption are so small...that I think that picture was left for us to find."

"Leaving behind the Brotherhood of Evil, leaving an image of themselves on the computer, and possibly even leaving behind a metal fragment - you think it's possible that they're trying to send a message of some sort?"

"I'm sure there are better ways of getting our attention than leaving vague clues," Beast Boy complained as they neared their ship. Almost on cue, the T-ship suddenly erupted in a massive fireball that knocked all the Titans off their feet. The blast melted the snow, toppled over the nearby trees, and sent pieces of the T-ship as far as the prison walls. The Titans slowly got back to their feet, gazing with shock as the burning wreckage that now stood where their ship was.

"How about planting a bomb on our ship?" Raven quipped sarcastically. "They have my attention."


	6. Chapter 5: Stroke of Luck

**Chapter Five: Stroke of Luck**

**"Hey guys, where are you?"** Blackfire called out as she staggered through the empty Titan's Tower. Her eyes were still red and her steps were slow and sluggish due to the massive hangover she was suffering from. Unfortunately, when the Titans left Blackfire was still in such a half-awaken state that she didn't even remember when Cyborg tried to wake her up hours ago. It wasn't till around noon that Blackfire managed to peel her face off the bathroom floor and search her friends and sister. Most of the night before was just a blank in her memory but she did remember that she did have a good time, as did the rest of the Titans. Maybe there was trouble and the Titans had to go out she thought. It took a while, but Blackfire eventually found the small note left behind on the fridge by the Titans. It explained the situation briefly; that they would be gone for most of the day, if not all of it, and that Blackfire was free to use their home as she wished so long as she didn't leave a mess.

She smirked playfully to herself – she had the entire Titan's Tower to herself. "After all that training, I deserve some pampering," she chuckled softly as she strolled over to her sister's room. The first thing Blackfire figured she could use was a long, hot shower, something that she had not had the luxury to enjoy in many weeks. If she had to endure another day with cold water there would've been hell to pay.

"Should've…skipped the armor," Blackfire groaned uncomfortably as she started tossing her clothes on the bedroom floor. As each piece of armor fell to the ground with a loud clank, more of the Tamaranean's battered body was revealed. She was grateful that Starfire couldn't see just how injured her sister truly was. Bruises covered her arms and legs, her mid- and lower-back were wrapped tightly in bandages to keep her ribs from shifting into an uncomfortable position, and pieces of tapped gauze were stained red with old blood. A few of her deeper wounds would probably leave small scars, especially the cut along her hairline that she got when she took a short tumble down a cliff. Blackfire carefully pulled back the bandage on the head wound as she carefully looked at the healing cut in the mirror. "I hope that doesn't show too much," Blackfire sighed softly before replacing the bandage.

The rush of hot water over her body as she stepped into the shower was like injecting new life into her battered form. She purred softly, letting the water soak her hair, getting all the old sweat, dirt, and oils left in it from her trip up a particular mountain several days ago. "I actually have the whole place to myself," she muttered in disbelief, delicately uttering each word as if this reality would disappear if she treated it without the utmost of care. "Maybe I should consider actually finding a place of my own to settle down in," Blackfire mused as she continued washing herself. "It would certainly beat using lakes for baths, cooking animals over a bonfire, and using caves for shelter. Wait…I need money to own a place unless I could somehow convince the people who built this place to help me build one. Yeah, like that would ever happen. Perhaps I could move in with Jacqueline…she did say that I could stay for as long as I need to should I desire to. Nah, Jacqueline's nice but I don't think I could stand living with her indefinitely. Should I…no, no, no, no. A close-knit group like them wouldn't want a lone-wolf like me around all the time." Her voice eventually trailed off and was drowned by the running water.

"Ahh…clean, lemony-fresh victory," Blackfire sighed contently as she exited the shower. Since nobody was home, she simply threw on one of Starfire's purple bathrobes and slippers before heading back to the living room to get something to eat. The past six months, fortunately, had taught Blackfire some Earth culinary skills so fixing a late breakfast was not a challenge. The contents of two eggs were emptied onto a sizzling frying pan before Blackfire popped some bread into the toaster and got a pot of coffee brewing. The smell of the eggs and toast made Blackfire's stomachs grumble in impatience, urging her to cook faster.

Blackfire waited patiently, leaning against the kitchen counter, as the eggs sizzled upon the black, Teflon-coated surface below. She was beginning to grow impatient herself but before she could get up to fix this situation, she stopped dead in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. "That was weird," she muttered quietly, having felt the strange sensation that she was being watched. The Tamaranean turned back to her cooking breakfast for a few more moments before something new caught her attention. Quickly turning about, Blackfire could've sworn that she had just heard the sound of glass hitting metal…like an empty liquor bottle hitting a table leg. However, there was nothing except an empty living room, which made Blackfire question whether she was totally sober yet.

"I'm hearing things now," she sighed as she picked up the coffee pot to pour herself another glass. Once again that sensation of another presence struck her, causing Blackfire to glance nervously over her shoulder a second time. "Now I definitely know I've drank too much," she reluctantly concluded, pouring a cup of coffee. A good cup of java was always able to wake up the cloudy-minded young adult. A second noise almost startled the girl... except that it was just the toaster going off. Still, the jump in her heart rate reminded Blackfire that she was way too much on edge at the moment. "Settle down Blackfire…gonna give yourself a heart attack at this rate." It took a few moments for her to settle down but thankfully the prospect of breakfast made that easier. Taking slow sips of her coffee, she grabbed the toast and tossed them across the kitchen to a plate on the kitchen counter. Halfway through the air though, the toast suddenly bounced off of something. Blackfire just stared dumbly at the pieces of toast on the ground – something had stopped the toast yet there wasn't anything between her and the counter. Or was there? Acting quickly, Blackfire threw the contents of her coffee mug in front of her. Just like she thought, the coffee splashed against something directly in front of her. The black liquid created a silhouette of something tall and human-shaped in front of her.

"Sneaky little devil…" she tried to charge a pair of starbolts but her invisible foe grabbed her around the neck and threw the Tamaranean across the room. She smashed through the coffee table before skidding to a halt on the ground. Blackfire rose to her feet before realizing that she was trying to fight an opponent she couldn't see. Time wasn't something she had much of, as a sharp blow to her gut collapsed her to her knees. "Put me down dammit," she cursed as she was lifted off the ground and thrown across the room again, this time landing hard on the dinner table. Normally, she could've shrugged off such a simple hit but the pre-existing injuries made the impact hurt twice as much. Still, Blackfire forced herself back to her feet to try and fight this one-sided battle. Blackfire knew she had to focus…it was just like her fight with the Guardian of the Cave.

"Just focus Blackfire," she muttered softly. "Concentrate and…" Appearing suddenly in the air, a trio of small metallic javelins pierced through the air towards her. Thanks to quick reflexes, the three javelins missed her and made a pincushion out of the fridge. "Gotcha!" A starbolt launched from her hand, striking her opponent and knocking it into the computer terminals. Smashed against the wall, a flickering green-tinted silhouette was now clearly visible as the cloaking field became destabilized from the attack. It eventually collapsed, revealing the assailant – a lithe-framed robot. Unlike the machine that Robin and the others saw in the recovered image, this machine was much thinner and small, obviously built for agility and speed rather than durability. Its armor tightly conformed to its contours, with sharp edges along the joints, and unusually long arms and legs. It's hand seemed unusual, as they were metallic silver, unlike the black armor plating that covered the rest of the body, with no visible armor plates and instead seemed to be one seamless surface. Blackfire's focus, however, was on its head: very pointed and conical in shape with a pair of antenna-like extensions on both sides of the head and five dim, red eyes arranged in an 'X' pattern.

"Who…or more importantly what are you?"

"Shade," it replied in a dark, wispy but computerized voice. It rose to its feet, its head tilted to the side in a sort of curious stare before springing into action. That odd metallic hand appeared to melt and was pulled into three small openings at the end of its wrist before three streams of the silver metal flew out of the openings but instead of being javelins, the streams were continuous even after they crashed into the wall behind Blackfire.

"Liquid metal…now that's fancy," Blackfire smirked, looking to the long metal strands that missed her by mere inches. The three streams of liquid metal retracted back into the shade's arm as the machine charged at Blackfire. The other hand liquefied and morphed into a long, curved blade, before hardening to create the dangerous weapon. Blackfire moved fast and accurately, twisting out of the way of the oncoming blade as the shade attacked in a flurry of vicious attacks. She waited for an opportunity to counter-attack and when that came, she moved in hard with a solid strike to the chest to push it back, and then firing a starbolt at point-blank range into it center. The shade was knocked off its feet but it surprisingly sprung off its hands and landed neatly on its feet.

The two warriors charged again with Blackfire pushing heavily on the offense. The shade was quick though, Blackfire's more powerful attacks failed to make a hit while her lesser blows always seemed to find a way through the shade's defenses. Blackfire intercepted a punch from the shade, trying to force the shade to yield to a grapple but the hand melted and reformed into a hand now gripping tightly around Blackfire's wrist. "Oh my…" she muttered before being thrown into the ceiling. Before she could fall to the ground, the shade delivered a swift kick that sent Blackfire back into the kitchen. The shade leapt in with a sword raised high then brought it crashing down where Blackfire was seconds before, narrowly missing the Tamaranean. The shade wound up smashing one of the cabinets in half instead as Blackfire hurried to counter-attack. She charged a starbolt and used the intense energy around her fist to cut straight through the relatively weak armor around the elbow, taking the shade's right arm clean off.

"Nobody beats Blackfire!" she boasted as the shade attempted to take another swing at Blackfire, only to have the remaining arm removed in a similar fashion. She finally let the starbolt off, blasting the shade dead center of the chest. It collapsed to its knees, stunned but not out of the fight…yet. Blackfire aimed to end it though as she threw all her strength into a roundhouse kick – taking its head clean off.

"Ha ha!" Blackfire cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "No piece of technology can ever beat this Tamaranean powerhouse! Who's the best? That's right. It's me!" Her cheers were cut short when a pair of thin threads suddenly latched onto the exposed part of her chest just below her neck, catching the girl's attention. Blackfire didn't even get a chance to voice her confusion before several thousand volts were sent through the tiny cables and into the girl. Her electricity-induced convulsions lasted only a few before she collapsed to the ground like a damp rag – out like a light.

"This is SB-1 to command: unforeseen hostile has been neutralized. SB-2 has been destroyed. Requesting updated instructions." A second, wispy voice almost identical to the first spoke over its satellite communication channel.

"Clean-up and finish the mission SB-1."

"Yes Commander Slade. Shall I dispatch with the girl?"

"No…leave her be. We don't need to escalate this just yet. Be more careful than your former teammate…this isn't a race."

"As you wish Commander." The line went dead before the second shade activated the 'clean-up' program that was installed in all the units. Upon activation, every piece of the destroyed shade began to glow a bright red, starting off dimly and then growing in intensity. Eventually, the downed machine was completely red and began to crumble into smaller pieces. It rapidly degrading faster and faster until nothing was left except for a fine pile of black ashes upon the ground without a single trace of what it once was. The remaining shade left the room to finish what it had come to do.

* * *

"Ugh…what happened?" Blackfire groaned softly as her eyes finally fluttered open after having spent a couple hours unconscious. She felt…frizzled and she could barely remember what happened in the hours before she lost consciousness. She stretched her neck side to side and rubbed her sore back before groggily getting back to her feet. Though she couldn't recall exactly what happened, she had a feeling that it was pretty bad considering how bad she felt and the amount of damage in the room. "Ah crap! Look at this mess!" Blackfire panicked as she realized the level of damage sustained to the room – broken tables, smashed cabinets and countertops, a large dent in the ceiling, destroyed appliances, and her breakfast was smoldering on the oven. Even though it wasn't really her fault, Blackfire couldn't help but imagine the Titans blowing a gasket when they got home.

"I…I…uh, I'm getting outta here!" Blackfire decided to just bail out before the Titans got home and let them worry about the mess. She promptly turned about face and bolted out of the room to get her things together before getting the hell out of that tower. Things were going to get ugly when the Titans came back and Blackfire didn't want to be anywhere near Jump City when that happened.

Of course avoiding the blame wasn't the only reason she left; she planned to use the time to figure out a specific plan as for what she would do. The huge mess in the tower wouldn't give her the tranquility she'd need to get a plan together. Secondly, she was still hungry and she didn't want to try breakfast again.

* * *

A small, bustling outdoors café eventually became Blackfire's choice to get breakfast…or lunch at this point. She wasn't a fan of having to eat in such a crowded location but it was the only place within her price range that she figured she would actually enjoy. She was down her to last twenty bucks so lunch was going to have to be light, which was a hard thing for a young Tamaranean to do. Waiting in lines was not something the former princess was used to…especially when she was hungry and in a bad mood.

During the past half-hour since she left the tower, Blackfire recalled the events leading up to her departure. Virtually every other moment was spent reliving those last few seconds of the fight where she let her guard down and thus screwed herself over. How could she have been so stupid? After all that training with the True Master she let her hothead get the better of her again. It was enough for her to beat the crap out of the first person she saw. Fortunately, at least she was able to remember how to control her rage long enough to enjoy a half-decent lunch…though everybody around her could practically feel the ire pouring out of her. Those who made eye contact were met with a harsh glare and flashing red eyes, which made moving through the line fairly easy for her. The cashier, thankfully, didn't try to make any idle conversation with her…though perhaps it was because Blackfire wrung the edges of her tray so tightly that she left behind deep indentations in the metal tray.

"Stupid blast invisible chlorbags…" Blackfire cursed under her breath as she searched the busy café for an empty table. Things were close to being packed at the moment and finding an empty table was turning to be more difficult than she anticipated. Tucked away in one of the back corners of the café, a table with a couple of vacant seats caught her eye like a red flare. However, Blackfire wasn't the only one who spotted the vacant table as it had also caught the eye of the pink-haired mistress of misfortune, Jinx. Blackfire wasn't the only one who was in a bad mood, as Jinx seemed to be brooding over something on her mind as well. Fortunately, the two didn't notice each other until they were both at the table with Blackfire edging victory by claiming the first seat at the table. The two young ladies glared at one another, neither one interested in having to share a table with another person and both aiming to claim the table for themselves.

Jinx, however, was willing to compromise despite her desire to kick Blackfire out of the chair. "Mind if I sit here?" she muttered darkly, making her intents and desires apparent in her tone while clearly understanding Blackfire's wishes.

"Not in the mood so why don't you back off before you get hurt," Blackfire sneered in response. Jinx didn't say anything at first; she simply and subtly cast her magic on Blackfire's chair, causing the metal frame to fall apart beneath her. Blackfire resisted the urge to fire a few starbolts at the annoying girl and took a few deep breaths to calm down. "Fine…you win this round," Blackfire grumbled as she grabbed another chair.

"I'm not in the mood either so don't piss me off if you know what's good for you," Jinx casually warned as she sat across the table from Blackfire. The two bitter teenagers ate silently, casting harsh glares to the opposite side of the table for several minutes before one of them finally spoke up.

"You look kind of familiar…have we met before?" Jinx asked as that question had been gnawing at the back of her head since the two met.

"I don't think so. I would've remembered a haircut like that."

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing – you just don't see many people with hair that looks like the horns of an orthox."

"Now I remember – I saw you six months ago when everybody was fighting Kronos. I was part of the team that fought Kronos before you and Starfire stepped in."

Surprisingly, things seemed to settle down between them all of a sudden. It was as if knowing they had both been through the same hardship months ago created a common ground to make things more familiar for them. "Still don't remember seeing you," Blackfire explained.

"That's cause you were unconscious when I saw you," Jinx smirked slightly. "When your battered butt was hauled back to the Tower by the others. I was gone by the time you woke up. My name's Jinx by the way."

"Blackfire. Nice to meet you…I think." Things went from tense to more casual now as both girls temporarily forgot their own troubles and just focused on the moment. Blackfire figured that a distraction would be just what she needed if she were to come up with a plan to fix her problems in life – the answers always came when she wasn't really looking for them. Besides…Jinx seemed to be a pretty interesting girl.

"So you're really Starfire's sister, huh?"

"Unfortunately that appears to be my claim to fame."

"You seem…normal. I guess insanity doesn't run too strongly in your family."

Blackfire chuckled lightly at the joke. "Nah, just bad tempers and a knack for getting into trouble wherever we go. So how do you know my sister exactly? Your little show-off moments ago doesn't strike me as the thing a goodie-goodie would do."

"That's because I used to be on the opposite side of the fence when I first met your sister. I kicked her butt too."

"I kicked her butt all the time when we were little. So far the track record is about a thousand to one in my favor," Blackfire exaggerated slightly but it was true that Blackfire won most of their little fights except for the most recent ones. The fact that Starfire won the important fights made all the previous victories meaningless to her. "So what are you doing helping them now?"

"A guy with a mile-a-minute mouth talked me out of it…plus I was tired of being surrounded by incompetent idiots that can't fight their way out of wet paper bags. Well…most of the time at least…" Jinx's voice trailed off near the end, returning to the more bitter tone it was before.

"Aw, did they recently kick your butt?" Blackfire teased, figuring that this was the source of Jinx's original anger.

"Sorta…" Jinx answered reluctantly. "They're supposed to be in prison so I wasn't expecting them to drop in on me suddenly. One second I'm making lunch, the next minute I got rockets and cinderblocks being tossed at me. If those…dolts hadn't taken me by surprise like they had I would've mopped the floor with them. Plus…I was sort of outnumbered by a lot." Jinx sighed lightly as she prodded her lunch with her fork aimlessly, lost in thought. "Kicked out of my own home," she added quietly.

"Trust me, I know that feeling," Blackfire groaned as she took a sip from her coffee. Blackfire's mind casually pondered the new information – for some reason it stuck in her head more than it should have. "Say…I know this is a little sudden but I've got a bit of a proposition for you."

"I'm listening," Jinx liked where Blackfire's train of thought appeared to be going.

"You need to get your house back…and I need a place to stay. Get where I'm going with this?"

"You that desperate for a place to stay that you're willing to just volunteer to fight a bunch of people? That sounds awfully…goodie-goodie of you."

"Don't read too much into it. I have needs and I see opportunity so I'm taking it. The fact I might have to bust a few chops in the process is just a bonus for me. Get one thing straight Jinx, I am not like my sister – I don't like doing the whole hero thingie…too self-righteous. I do enjoy the fighting part of it though."

"Heh…same here actually. Okay Blackfire, you've got yourself a deal. Help me get my old acquaintances out of my home and I'll let you stay in it." There was more than enough room in the old HIVE Five Headquarters, especially since the other members were imprisoned after the ordeal with the Brotherhood of Evil; a guest might be a good change of pace to put some action into her otherwise rather routine life. "If you're as good as the Titans made you out to be, this should be easier than leading a lamb to the slaughter."


	7. Chapter 6: Start to Something Beautiful

**Chapter Six: Start to Something Beautiful**

**Due to the open grounds surrounding the former HIVE Five headquarters, the newly formed partners approached after the sun set.** Blackfire scanned a pair of small buildings in the distance through a pair of binoculars while the pair kept hidden amongst some trees and shrubs. From what Blackfire could tell, the approach to the buildings looked clear but her instincts told her that some level of security system would alert the people inside before she was even within fifty meters of the buildings. The two buildings looked fairly inconspicuous…except for the chain-link fence around the perimeter and the 'no trespassing' sign. But hey, all sorts of buildings fit that description. For the casual passerby, it looked like just another pair of old warehouses like so many others in the area.

"You live here? So which is the building that we want?" Blackfire asked as looked over to Jinx.

"Both of them actually. The buildings go deep underground and connect together in a big…um, H-shape actually. Don't ask me why it built that way…it was Gizmo's idea," Jinx explained, which made Blackfire roll her eyes. What was with people and making buildings in the shape of letters? It sounded…awfully inefficient for a building layout. "I knew I should've learned how to work that stupid security system. Gizmo always took care of all the technical stuff…"

"Security systems? Bah. I've been dealing with the security systems of alien races thousands of years ahead of this little planet's. When you can navigate your way through a level-nine biorhythmic-sensing pulsar cannon field then we can talk about dealing with fancy security systems," Blackfire boasted confidently.

"What the heck is a pulsar cannon thingie?"

"Extremely nasty. In a nutshell it's a bunch of cannons with extremely sensitive scanning equipment and with weapons so accurate it can blast the wings of a xurtha beetle. Now imagine about twenty of them in a single hallway with overlapping line of sights and you'll get the general idea of what I had to go through when I broke into a Spican vault. Now enough about my glory days, what sort of security did this Gizmo guy put in?"

"Usual assortment – cameras, heat sensors, pressure sensors, laser grids, automated laser turrets, proximity mines, and high security doors. I can handle most of that stuff but they know I'm coming. I'm willing to bet they put See-More on patrol."

"Black guy with white suit, green helmet, and one eye?" Blackfire asked, mostly rhetorically, as she watched the patrolling HIVE member. Jinx simply nodded before taking a peek with her own set of binoculars. "He doesn't look too tough. I should be able to take him down before he can notify the others."

"I've got a better idea."

"Will it involve wanton destruction?"

"I'd like to get my home back in one piece if you don't mind."

"Don't like the plan already."

"Wanton destruction can come in later."

* * *

Out of the remaining members of the HIVE Five, now actually numbering five for once, See-More was the only one that was reluctant to oust Jinx so forcefully from the base. The others were intent on exacting revenge on their former teammate for her betrayal and would've locked Jinx away for a long time if it weren't for her fast thinking and a hasty retreat. See-More's reluctance stemmed from more than just his personal feelings for Jinx but the fact that he didn't enjoy how Gizmo bossed everyone around. Without Jinx, Gizmo appointed himself the new leader of the group simply because he was smarter than the others. Gizmo made it his business to push around everybody so much that even though See-More had been told to watch out for Jinx, See-More was spending more time staring up at the evening clouds than watching the horizon. He figured Jinx would have more sense than to try and take on all of them at once so there wasn't any major need to keep an eye out for her.

"Hello? See-More, can you hear me?" A faint voice crackled over his communicator. See-More immediately recognized it as Jinx; cautiously, he answered it after making sure none of his teammates were around.

"I hope this is important Jinx," See-More answered in a hushed voice.

"Very important. We need to talk…privately."

See-More mentally debated the proposal quickly. On the one hand, talking to Jinx could land him in a lot of trouble with the others but on the other hand, Jinx was still his friend and she had always treated him better than the others. Finally, he decided to give Jinx a chance. "Where?"

"Above you."

See-More, caught off-guard by the answer, looked up to see Jinx standing on the edge of the roof and motioning for him to come up. She was there only for a moment before tucking out of sight as to avoid being detected by the other HIVE Five members. See-More was surprised that Jinx managed to get onto the rooftop without him noticing, but then again he didn't know that Jinx had a flyer helping her out. Within a few moments, See-More was on the roof where Jinx was waiting patiently for him. "I didn't think you'd actually be coming back."

"You guys come back out of the blue after six months and kick me out of my home! Did you really think I was just going to lie back and take it?" Jinx snapped back.

"Well I was hoping you'd get the message. If the others find you, there's no telling what they're going to do to you. They are pissed as hell and they want to take it out on you."

"Go figure. I did leave, attack, and imprison you guys. Speaking of which, how did you get out? You were all taken to Adamantine Prison after we beat the Brotherhood of Evil."

"I'm…uh, not at liberty to discuss that," See-More dodged the issue. It struck Jinx as odd how See-More would suddenly get so…nervous on a subject that would normally be a boastful time for the HIVE Five. Jinx wasn't too concerned with how they escaped at the moment, only how to get them back from where they came. "Now you said you wanted to talk and I'm here to listen. You've got five minutes before I tell the others you're here."

"Boy…somebody sounds bitter."

"While the others had the benefit of being in ice for the past several months, I wasn't," See-More explained. He was defeated long before the final battle by The Herald and as such, he was locked away in the Adamantine prison like a common criminal rather than being stored in ice like his teammates. "I was alone for a very, very long time Jinx – a lot of time to think about things. Why do you leave Jinx?"

"Well…for starters I couldn't stand being around Billy Numerous or Gizmo for another second. Plus, I realized that this isn't what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I knew if I wanted something bigger for myself, I was going to have to do things on my own. As I told the others, its nothing personal."

"They've made it personal Jinx and so have I. We only got caught up in that whole Brotherhood of Evil thing cause of you and then you go and leave us. There's really only one thing stopping me from getting the others out here…"

"I assume it's not because I'd pummel you before you could even turn on your communicator."

"No it's…cause you're my friend, or at least I consider you one. Please, just leave cause I don't want to have to hurt you," See-More confessed reluctantly.

Jinx sighed softly to herself as her eyes panned to the ground for a moment. "You are a friend See-More. I've always been able to count on you for anything and that's why I'm asking you to leave because I don't want to see you get seriously hurt. I'm taking back my home and nobody is going to stop me."

"You and what army?"

"Well she's helping," Jinx explained as she pointed to Blackfire, who was standing directly behind See-More. When he glanced over his shoulder and saw the battle-hungry Tamaranean, See-More almost jumped out of his boots in surprise. "This is Blackfire. Before you ask, yes she's the same species as Starfire. Basically imagine an older, stronger, and angrier Starfire and you get the gist of what this girl is going to help me do."

"She…looks tough."

"Trust me – you don't want to be standing in my way," Blackfire sneered maliciously as her eyes glowed a dark pink. See-More backed away slowly from the Tamaranean, clearly intimidated by her. "Do what the nice girl says and just walk away." See-More looked back and forth between Jinx and Blackfire before finally sighing softly.

"Listen, I know you don't want to fight me but…I can't leave these guys," See-More explained reluctantly. "They're my friends even if they can be a little dense at times. I'm not going to leave them, especially with you two."

"There's an easy way where you get to walk away and there's a hard way where you get to spend the next several hours unconscious before being picked up by the cops," Jinx warned one last time. Friend or not, she wasn't going to let See-More stand in her way. He was just another opponent now.

"I might not be able to stop you but I couldn't live with abandoning them."

"This is going nowhere…" Blackfire sighed lightly and just wrapped her arms around See-More's neck, putting him into a chokehold. Her arms carefully tightened around his neck, enough to block blood and airflow but not enough to leave any permanent injuries. See-More struggled in vain but eventually succumbed to the darkness and passed out. "Tie him up and I'll take care of the door."

"That could've gone better," Jinx muttered softly.

* * *

"How many do you see?" Blackfire whispered as Jinx peered around the corner. The pair had succeeded in infiltrating deep into the HIVE Five headquarters. Their opponents relied so heavily on See-More and the security systems, which Blackfire was able to bypass, that most of the team members were simply lounging in the den, watching television and reveling in their own victory.

"Mammoth, Wykkyd, and Numerous," Jinx replied before sinking back behind cover. "No sign of Gizmo but he's probably in his lab."

"You said Gizmo's running the shots now, right?" Blackfire asked to confirm, to which Jinx nodded in response. "If I handle these guys, you think you can find Gizmo and take him out?"

"No problem," Jinx said as she smirked slyly. "The big guy has super strength, the red one can multiply, and the last one can teleport. Nothing you can't handle." Blackfire chuckled quietly as she cracked her knuckles and moved over to the corner where Jinx was moments ago. She peered around the corner and watched the three members carefully. Silently, the two went their separates ways with Jinx headed for the stairwell while Blackfire crept into the den. A wrestling match was playing on the large screen TV, keeping the four couch occupants busy. Between the choice of Kid Wykkyd, Mammoth, or one of the two Billy Numerous, Blackfire decided to use her element of surprise to at least take out one of them without effort. Eventually, she chose the mute Kid Wykkyd and when she was close enough, Blackfire grabbed him by the shoulders and hurled him across the room. The others didn't even notice what was happening until the loud crash of their comrade smashing into the computer monitors rang throughout the room.

"What in tarnation is going on?" one of the Billy's shouted in surprise as he turned in time to meet one of Blackfire's starbolts.

"How the heck did you get in?" Mammoth growled angrily as he jumped off the couch to meet the challenge. Blackfire smirked confidently as she raised her hands and readied herself for a 'fun' martial arts match.

"Through the door. By the way, Jinx sends her regards," Blackfire taunted as she unleashed a strong straight into Mammoth's gut. She flew up to head level and let loose a flurry of quick kicks into his face in an effort to topple over the giant warrior. Mammoth's burly arms were able to absorb the brunt of Blackfire's force but her final kick was still strong enough to knock him off balance and to the ground. Behind her, Billy Numerous quickly multiplied and three jumped onto Blackfire's back in an attempt to ground the Tamaranean.

"Your hands…are on my grebnaks!" Blackfire shouted angrily, driving an elbow into one of the Billy's face. An open palm struck another Billy in the face, stunning him off of her like the previous one. She grabbed hold of the last one, who was holding tightly to her legs, and pried him off of her easily. Another group of the hillbilly multiplier tried to surprise Blackfire; however, Blackfire struck first with a major league swing using Billy as her bat. Once she had taken care of them, Blackfire chucked the last Billy into a recovering Kid Wykkyd, taking them both out.

Two beefy arms suddenly wrapped tightly around her body as Mammoth took Blackfire from behind in a powerful bear hug. Once again those past injuries of hers came back to remind her that she still wasn't in prime physical condition. Her still mending ribs became crackling uncomfortably as his forearms applied more and more pressure on her weaker, lower rib cage. "I'm going to make you regret coming here!" Mammoth boasted as he squeezed her harder, eliciting a number of pained groans from her.

"Nobody tells me what to do," Blackfire grunted as fired her eyebeams into Mammoth's forearms, forcing the behemoth to release her. She broke away from Mammoth and put some distance between her and the massive fighter. Her broken rib began bothering her again, causing each breath to be accompanied by a sharp, stabbing pain. "An impressive level of strength. I'm going to enjoy breaking you," Blackfire said with a grin. The two powerhouse warriors charged at each other, unleashing a multitude of punches and kicks at each other. While able to dodge or block most of the other's attacks, each time one of their strikes made contact, the whole room practically shook from the force as each warrior was knocked around the room. Jinx might have asked Blackfire to try and minimize structural damage as much as possible, but at the current rate the two brawlers were going there was going to be one hell of a mess left behind.

The fight broke out of the den and deeper into the building when Mammoth was knocked straight through the floor, moving the fight from the den into one of their training rooms. "Come on out big boy, I'm not done with you yet," Blackfire goaded, floating down into the training to try and find her opponent.

"Same here!" Mammoth shouted as he came out of hiding, wielding a loaded barbell and striking Blackfire with it. She was knocked to the other side of the room, crashing through several racks of dumbbells and weights along the way.

"Okay enough with the fun, I'm ending this," Blackfire brushed herself off before flying towards Mammoth. Her fist made contact with Mammoth, blowing him clear through the nearest wall and crashing into a perimeter wall. Blackfire followed through with another monstrous punch but since the very weight of the earth was against the wall, all of Blackfire's force went into Mammoth rather than into the wall. Even still, her raw strength was enough to cause the wall to bow slightly, almost shaking the very foundation of the building. All the fight was knocked out of Mammoth as he slumped to the ground unconscious.

"You put up a good fight but you are just too slow for me," Blackfire gloated to the unconscious fighter. For once she was victorious and she didn't have to worry about being electrocuted from behind. Remembering that she still had a partner and one last opponent to worry about, Blackfire figured the proper thing to do was find Jinx once she tied up her defeated enemies.

At least, she thought they were defeated. As Blackfire turned to find Jinx, she was staring eye-to-eye with the stone-faced Kid Wykkyd. "Where did…oh right, the teleportation." Blackfire took a swift punch right to the jaw, sending the Tamaranean skidding across the floor. When she came to a halt, she discovered herself staring up at a small army of Billy Numerous. "Well look who's back for round two," she grinned excitedly at the prospect of another fight. Rolling away from Billy, Blackfire sprang back to her feet and took her usual fighting stance. "Come on you side-show rejects…let's dance."

* * *

If Jinx had to make any guess as to where her 'friend' Gizmo would be hanging out at this hour of the day, it'd be in his workshop working on some other fancy little project. It was like clockwork for him really – if he wasn't out robbing an ATM machine it was the workshop. Judging by the lack of alarms going off that Blackfire was doing a good job at taking care of her former teammates. As Jinx neared the workshop on the lower floors, she could hear various power tools and electrical equipment running at full speed, which was a dead giveaway that Gizmo was working in the lab.

At first, Jinx pondered the challenge of getting the door open without alerting Gizmo to her presence. It was times like these that she wished they had opted for the less noisy, traditional swinging doors instead of those new-fangled metal sliding doors that made that annoying 'whoosh' noise like in those science-fiction shows. Finally, Jinx just decided to make her entrance nice and flashy with very, very loud bang.

Actually, it was more of a moderately loud boom followed by a louder crash and the only flash was a result of the flying door hitting pieces of electrical equipment, sending a shower of sparks everywhere.

"Knock, knock," Jinx mused as she strolled inside. "Anybody home?"

"What the? Where the heck did you come from?" Gizmo shouted in surprise at the sight of his vengeful former comrade, scattering his tools across his workbench from the shock. Jinx's eyes began to glow as a wicked grin stretched across her face, sending a surge of fear through the tiny genius.

"It's just you and me little man," Jinx growled as she loomed closer. "Your friends can't help you and while I don't know how you managed to get out of your icy prison, I'm going to make sure you wished you have stayed in its cold embrace." With a snap of her fingers, her magic got to work, causing several light fixtures above Gizmo to fall to the ground.

"Ah crud!" Gizmo cried out as he scrambled to avoid the cascade of broken metal and glass. With his teammates they were able to oust Jinx from the house but in a one-on-one fight, he wasn't so certain how he'd fair against one of the top grads of the HIVE academy. Gizmo had no choice but to try because he knew there was going to be no mercy from the scorned woman. Activating his gear, the four robotic legs extended down and lifted him off the ground while a rocket pod fired a volley of explosives at Jinx. With a wave of her hand, another hex of hers caused a premature detonation in all the rockets along with several pieces of equipment near Gizmo to detonate. The shower of smoldering metal disorientated the miniature criminal as he tried to pull away from the advancing Jinx.

"What's the matter Gizmo? You knew I was going to be coming back or did you expect the four meat sacks above would be enough to stop me? Well actually I didn't even touch any of them – I brought a friend along who was all too eager to find somebody to pummel," Jinx explained, targeting her magic at one of the mechanical knee joints of Gizmo's rear leg, resulting in the joint shattering to pieces. As Gizmo staggered to maintain his balance on three legs, Jinx sent a wave of her magic towards him, plowing him down in an instant. As he smashed through more equipment and shelving units, the remaining mechanical legs were shorn off.

"Blasted…bucket of crud security system…"

"Oh yeah, the security system would probably be more useful if you have deleted my user account instead of just remove my privileges. That was just sloppy, even for you," Jinx continued to taunt the young genius. As she drew closer, Gizmo panic worsened that resulted in him scrambling to get his damaged backpack operating again.

"Come on…work dang you!" he cursed as he continued tinkering with his controls. "Aha!" The tech whiz managed to get one of his energy cannons operating. The weapon folded out and took aim at Jinx, though a strange rumbling from above took both of their attention away from the fight at hand. "What the-" Gizmo's words quickly changed from confusion to a panicked scream when the ceiling above him caved in an a couple hundred pounds of steel and concrete collapsed to the ground atop and around him, half-burying the child. Jinx simply stared at the rubble dumbly, her focus primarily on the unconscious bodies of Kid Wykkyd and Billy Numerous, who were both amongst the rubble.

"Heads up!" Blackfire's voice called out from the hole in the ceiling while she peered down it. "Oh hey Jinx, found that Gizmo guy yet?"

"I told you to try and minimize structural damage."

"It's just a hole…actually it's several holes but who's counting? I tried my best - honest."

"You are...words escape me."

"How about fantastic…or maybe stupendous? Personally, I like astonishing. It rolls off the tongue so nicely plus it sounds like x'hatunisha – a Tamaranean word for 'god-like'."

* * *

"When you're done sweeping up the glass Blackfire, you can clean up the rubble from the holes you put in my walls," Jinx reminded her 'friend' while she watched a news program on the television. It was going over a breaking story of the apprehension of the supposed-to-be-incarcerated HIVE Five members after an anonymous tip. Behind Jinx, Blackfire was grumbling various profanities while she swept up the broken glass from the smashed computer monitors.

"This would go a lot faster if you would give me a hand," Blackfire complained as she swept the glass into a pan and threw it out.

"Your mess, you clean up," Jinx answered with a matter-of-factly tone in her voice. "Now I haven't forgotten our agreement – you've helped me get my home back, so you can crash for a bit. If you don't mind me asking, what's so important that you need to hide elsewhere?"

"I um…left a mess in the Titan Tower. I'm going to, you know…hide here for a little while until things calm down."

"So you've gone from one mess in a tower that you could've cleaned up and instead wasted a whole day getting into another home, which you still have to clean up. Brilliant plan if I do say so myself."

"It…sounded like a good plan in my head and at the time. Plus, I really needed to find another place to stay as a whole," Blackfire explained as she finished sweeping up the last of the broken glass. "I'm sick and tired of mooching off my sister and her friends, raking in sympathy points because I'm the poor, wounded, nomad sister. My sister's never-ending optimism and unbridled compassion was going to make me sick to my stomachs and I'd never find my own place with her always 'doing the right thing'. I…was hoping that I could eventually change my temporary residence into a more permanent position."

"I've known you for a day and you're already asking to move in?"

"I know it's quick but…I like you Jinx and for once I wasn't having to fake it. I don't get that very often and I can tell by the lack of a flat-out rejection that you're actually not turned off by the idea."

Jinx smiled before getting off the couch and joining Blackfire in cleaning up the rubble. "I like you too Blackfire…you're pretty cool and it's neat to have a Tamaranean on my side. Maybe it is a little quick but why not? It gets a little quiet here without the old gang making a ruckus." The good news brought a pleased smile to Blackfire's lips and the two new housemates carried on with cleaning up their home.

"I get the feeling this is going to be a lot of fun."

"Is that all you think about?"

"Everything I do is either fun or necessary…and when it's necessary I try to make it as fun as possible."

"You're incorrigible…"


	8. Chapter 7: The Hunt is On

**Chapter Seven: The Hunt is On**

**"When I find out who blew up my ship, I'm going to shove my sonic cannons so far down their throat they'll be-"**

"Cyborg, settle down. You've been saying that all the way home," Raven interrupted the still fuming metallic Titan. After having lost their ship to an unknown assailant, the Titans remained in France for the night, investigating what happened to their ship and waiting for the weather to clear up at the airport. It wasn't until early in the morning that the French military gave the Titans a lift back to Jump City, an immensely long trip due to the sluggish speed of the ship they rode. The trip that they felt was only going to last half a day at best stretched to almost three times that length when the Titans finally collapsed in exhaustion inside their living room. Sleep was not something they had gotten a great deal off over the past day and a half.

"Ah man…I've got so many naps to catch up on. I'm going to be sleeping for the rest of the day just to catch up," Beast Boy groaned as he lay on the floor.

"I'm running on reserve power," Cyborg nodded in agreement. "Probably less than twenty minutes of power left before I-sweet momma of all things sweet and crunchy! What happened to our place?" In their half-conscious stupors, none of the Titans had noticed that most of their living room had been smashed into pieces and pieces of the room were scattered across the floor along with an odd pile of black ashes in the center of it.

"I know I may have been a bit hung-over, but I don't remember any of that being there," Raven commented as she quirked an eyebrow.

"I definitely remember waking up underneath an intact coffee table," Beast Boy added as the Titans quickly fanned out to investigate what had happened. Robin went over to the kitchen to examine the old breakfast that had been left half-cooked on the stove, while Cyborg headed straight for the large pile of ashes that had only been lightly scattered across the carpet by the air circulation.

"W…where is my sister?" Starfire panicked as their surroundings hinted at a struggle of some sort. Before anybody could answer, she flew out the door to search the rest of the tower to find her missing sister, though Blackfire had left the tower a long time ago.

"Doesn't look like anybody's been here for a while," Robin sighed lightly, taking a brief look at the burnt food. While charred, what had once been a breakfast was cold to the touch and had a small gathering of flies feasting upon it. "Do you think Blackfire did all this?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was her but I don't know why she would…or how," Raven answered. "You don't think somebody may have broken into the Tower while we were gone?"

"It's a definite possibility," Robin said as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He walked over to the fridge and found a familiar item lodged in the appliance. Taking firm hold of it, Robin pulled out a thin, foot-long metal sliver that shimmered in the light with a metallic twinkle. "Look at this guys," Robin called out to the others as he held the item out for them to see. "This is definitely not a coincidence."

"You think we were lured away from the Tower?" Cyborg suggested.

"And our ship was probably destroyed to keep us there," Raven added. "Whoever broke in probably didn't expect to find Blackfire here though - that would explain the wreck."

"You really think Blackfire fought the intruder?" Robin asked, wanting to believe that Blackfire fought to protect their home, though the possibility was that Blackfire was simply fighting to defend herself. "Beast Boy, find Starfire and search the entire Tower for anything stolen, planted, or tampered. Cyborg, scan the computers to make sure they haven't been hacked into and see if you can find who did this. Raven and I will investigate things here." The Titans hurried to their individual tasks with Cyborg accessing the main computer while Raven and Robin began sifting through the mess. Just like at the Adamantine Prison, evidence was next to non-existent and after more than an hour of searching through the living room the only thing out of the ordinary were a number of metal slivers and a mysterious pile of ashes. Raven gathered the ashes and deposited them into a bucket so that Cyborg could give the ashes a more thorough examination later. After roughly two hours of searching through the entire Tower, Starfire and Beast Boy returned to report their findings to the others.

"Robin, we have found something that you will find most distressing," Starfire reported as she held a small box in her hands and an evident tone of worry was in her voice.

"Another 'clue' left behind?" Robin asked as he eyed the item in Starfire's hand.

"No. It is more like…a message," she said softly as she opened the box to reveal its contents. Inside were the shattered remains of a metal black and orange mask – Slade's mask. Robin's fists clenched tightly with the realization as to what this message was. Slade was back and he was behind all of this. Everything up to this point was typical of Slade's method of operations – deception, subtle clues, and always keeping a step ahead of the Titans.

"Uh…Robin, you okay?" Cyborg asked as the Titans watched Robin with concern. Robin didn't answer though, the frustration still boiling over within.

"Robin!" Raven said sternly as she gave the Boy Wonder a firm slap on the back of his head to snap him back to reality. "Focus on the matter at hand – a prison break-out, a broken-in Tower, and a missing Tamaranean."

"Oh…right, thanks Raven," Robin sighed lightly before turning to Cyborg. "Please tell me you have something else we can work with." Unfortunately, Cyborg's long pause didn't instill much reassurance.

"Good news is that nothing important has been destroyed, tampered, or copied on all of our computers. The bad news is the computer was definitely hacked and all the security footage and logs were deleted so I have no idea what happened here or who did it," Cyborg finally explained.

"Well we know who," Robin remarked bitterly.

"No…we think we know who. Anybody who knows you well enough, Robin, knows that even hinting at Slade is enough to distract you from everything else," Raven interrupted with a dose of reality. Robin had to admit that Raven did have a point, though he wasn't going to dismiss the possibility that it was Slade sending him a message. "What about the pile of ashes Cyborg, what did you sensors reveal?"

"Hard to say – it was heavily degraded by some unknown source. It definitely wasn't Blackfire's work and it wasn't something that was alive to begin with," Cyborg continued as the team looked over to the black ashes. "And guessing by the amount of ashes, it was something big – possibly something closely related to that mystery machine we got off the prison's hard drive."

"So this is all connected somehow…" Robin sighed softly, rubbing the side of his head as he absorbed all the information. "Let's get this place cleaned up…analyze the evidence and maybe get some rest as well. I'll…I'll be in my room." Without even saying good-bye, Robin vacated the living room leaving the other Titans to clean up the mess. It was evident that the recent events were beginning to take a toll on his ability to focus.

"Great, now he's in 'Slade mode'. He's going to be in his room for hours," Raven sighed lightly before everyone got to work.

* * *

A few hours later, the Titans gathered in a tidied up living room so they could finally discuss everything they had gathered in the past few days. The meeting would've started twenty minutes ago but it had taken Starfire longer than expected to drag Robin out of his room. Inevitably, she was forced to take Robin out of the room by force, throwing him over one shoulder and not letting him go until she set him down on the couch with the others. To no surprise, Robin was reluctant but this what his orders were so he was forced to accept his fate…plus Starfire sat close to make sure he didn't try to leave to return to 'Slade-ing'.

"Now that we're all here, we can finally get this meeting underway," Cyborg began, standing in front of the main computer screen. The lights dimmed slightly as the screen came to life, displaying an aerial photo of the Adamantine Prison. "As we already know, somewhere between 1900 and 2300 on Friday, the Adamantine Prison was attacked by what we suspect were two strike teams – one that infiltrated and shut down the defenses and another that actually carried out the bulk of the attacking. There were no survivors unfortunately and with the exception of this image we have little information on the assailants." The image changed to the one that he pulled off the computers back in the prison. "From what we can tell, this…thing is around nine to ten feet high and heavily armed and armored. It is of no recognizable origins and aside from the lambda symbol on its chest there are no identifying marks." Once again, the image shifted to a fresh one, this time several images of differing angles of the metal slivers they recovered from the prison and their tower. "If there were indeed two teams, then these metal javelins were used by the infiltration team. It's composed of a recently developed alloy known as mercurium."

"Never heard of it," Robin commented, as he was usually on top of new technological developments.

"It's really recent and it's still in a testing phase. Mercurium is a liquid metal much similar to mercury but non-toxic to handle. They're currently being tested in liquid metal technology, which uses a finely controlled electric pulse to cause the mercurium to mold and temporarily harden into any shape desired. Basically, it's a shape-shifting metal. Progress is slow though because the technology requires extremely complex computations for the shaping field and a large reservoir of heavy mercurium would be needed for anything effective. Tack on excessive energy needs and only a large machine would be able to effectively use these as weapons."

"So we are likely dealing with machines?" Raven asked to confirm.

"Either a robot or a piloted machine – I can't confirm just yet." The image on the screen shifted to the next piece of evidence collected, which was the fragment of metal they collected. "This is an armor fragment that Beast Boy and Raven found in the courtyard. Judging by the colour, it's a safe guess that this is the same material that the machine in our photo was composed of. Scans showed it to be an advance composite armor consisting of two layers of a titanium-based alloy as external armor, sandwiching two layers of an armor polymer mesh, and a single layer of a hard ceramic. It's…like a drywall of armor, while each layer has its own weakness, the other layers cover for the weaknesses to provide maximum protection. With this kind of armor…it's no surprise that the prison guards weren't able to stop them." The next image to appear on the screen was a sagittal cross-section scan of a person's head. "Out of every casualty in the prison, only the commanding officer of C-Company showed any major peculiarities. The autopsy revealed a large number of lesions in his brain, primarily around areas associated with memory storage. Additional scans showed a number of a minute tunnels that had pierced through the skin and penetrated all the way to the affected brain regions. The coroner put the cause of death as bleeding out…but he was likely close to being totally brain-dead before he died. I have heard of technologies being developed that's capable of extracting information from a target's brain…though it appears that this method leaves the target completely incapacitated afterwards."

"Wait a second," Beast Boy interrupted. "Are you saying that this guy had his brain zapped by somebody to get information out of it?"

"In a nutshell…yes. The Lt. Colonel said that the C-Company's CO had one of the keycards needed to open the inner vault and that he had always kept it hidden. If they really can pull information out a person's brain, it's probably how they found the keycard," Cyborg answered grimly. "Once they had the two keycards, they opened up the vault and let out pretty much everyone that we had worked so hard to put in there…with the exception of the Brotherhood of Evil."

"Any luck with the recovered hard drive?" Robin asked.

"Unfortunately it was another dead-end. I couldn't get anything else from it even with our computers."

"Great…so aside from a smashed mask we don't have anything that points to Slade." Raven simply rolled her eyes at Robin's remarks, refraining from commenting on his rather one-track thought process. "I just wish we had something more conclusive," he grumbled. He didn't want to be chasing a red herring while at the same time he didn't want to be constantly distracted by the possibility. It was the uncertainty that was getting to him.

The main screen suddenly flickered to a new image, though not at Cyborg's command. An ill-lit image of their one-eyed foe was now displayed across the giant screen. "If you wanted something more conclusive, you could just ask," Slade remarked as the Titans realized that this was a video feed and not just an image.

"Slade," Robin growled as he jumped off the couch. "How are you broadcasting to here?" The security systems on the Titan's computers should've prevented a communications signal from being forced into the tower.

"Now Robin, if I told you that I would be doing your job for you. I'm here to make your lives miserable, not easier…remember?" Robin's frustrated intensified from Slade's taunting with Robin clenching his fists even tighter. "It's good to see you again Titans, I was beginning to think you had forgotten all about me. Ideally, I would've preferred this little reunion to be in person but I'm a very busy man and cities don't crimes do not commit themselves."

"What are you up to Slade?" Robin demanded angrily.

"There you go again asking me to do your job for you. Next thing you know you'll be asking me to turn myself into the police as well. With such a good job you've been doing here in Jump City, I figured you'd be happy for a chance to test your mettle against a worthy adversary…rather than dulling your wits against hapless bank robbers and thugs."

"I'll only be happy when I see you behind bars."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait Titans cause you have more important things to worry about right now. As we speak, I've already sent out two teams into the city to…run errands for me. There are a couple of new friends of mine I'd love for you to meet…and they're just dying to meet you as well. If you hurry, you might be able to find them."

"Ha! Are you forgetting our computers can detect almost any crime happening in this city?" Cyborg boasted with a confident grin.

Slade merely chuckled coyly. "Oh Cyborg, you're boisterous confidence has always made me chuckle so. I haven't forgotten about your precious little computer…so that's why I've already taken the liberty to disable them. Happy hunting Titans – I do hope to see you all soon." The image then froze, before becoming heavily distorted by discolouration and blurring. Seconds later, the image disappeared from the screen and, one by one, the lights and computers in the Titans began to follow suit and shut down until the entire Tower was offline.

"Uh…what just happened?" Beast Boy asked. Thankfully since it was still daylight outside they weren't stuck in the dark but Cyborg's efforts to get the computers online resulted in nothing.

"I'm not sure but if I had to guess I think Slade just fragged our entire computer system. Everything's gone…security, sensors, communications…everything. I don't get it…I scanned the entire computer, there was nothing that could've done this kind of damage to our mainframe," Cyborg shouted in frustration at the end and smashing his fist against the wall next to the computer.

"We don't have a choice then, we'll have to go into the city and look ourselves," Robin said as he headed for the door. "Cyborg, stay here and get the computers back online. The rest of us will scour the city to find these…'friends' of Slade." Robin didn't even wait for the others to respond before charging out the door and to the garage.

"I think you should talk to him," Raven said, addressing Starfire beside her.

"I agree – Slade always brings out the worst in him," she agreed reluctantly.

"Knowing Slade, we're walking right into a trap…though we don't have much of a choice. Just go with him and try to keep him from getting too involved." Starfire once again reluctantly agreed with Raven. Robin was stubborn though; Starfire had doubts that even she would be able to keep him from doing something rash.

* * *

"Once again, I find myself being humbled by your tactical abilities," Brother Blood commented as he glanced over to Slade, who stood only a few feet to his right, just moments after Slade shut off the communications with the Titans. Blood and Slade were the only occupants in the large, dimly lit room that housed a number of large computers along the wall in front of them and only a few active lights hanging overhead.

"Perhaps now you better understand why discretion is a far more valuable asset," Slade retorted, not even so much as looking back to Blood. "The key is to never give them enough to plan effectively with – that way they'll always be caught unprepared. Plus, it's just more fun this way. The looks on their faces when they realize they've been duped are simply priceless."

Brother Blood let out a quiet chuckle as the thought. In the past, his plans had always been rather…up-front due to his habit of gloating to his opponents. While he was disappointed that the Titans were still oblivious to his presence, Brother Blood knew that the time would come and it would be a moment to cherish. "I've already given the order for the generals to begin their operations…and our 'guest' is ready to be interrogated."

"Ah yes…our little winged friend. Could you fetch her for me, it's time for me to perform."

Brother Blood wasn't used to having to listen to orders but he still heeded Slade's request. Working in a partnership might be new to him but he was already pleased with their current successes and the future prospects of their plans. Several minutes later, Brother Blood returned with a young, teenaged girl in tow. A surprisingly beautiful young girl with long locks of full, golden blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes, which had whisper-thin eyebrows that were furrowed into an angered glare. She wore an odd black armored jumpsuit composed of durable polymers and armor plating near joints and vitals locations such as her chest, thighs, forearms, and shoulders. Her left hand, which was bound to her other hand behind her back, was an odd silver metallic colour…featureless but definitely not a glove of any kind. Her shackles were composed of narrow energy bands that wrapped around her wrists and upper body to pin her arms against her chest, which buzzed noisily every time the girl struggled against her bindings, and a strange computerized collar tightly wrapped around her neck. Overpowered by Blood, she was dragged across the floor and eventually thrown to the ground before Slade.

"Hello my little angel, do you know who I am?" Slade asked casually, sort of in a patronizing tone, as Blood forced the young girl to her knees. Her angered eyes glared up at Slade, watching him closely before she shook her head slowly. "Excellent, that's all I really needed to know."

"What do you want from me?" the young girl muttered bitterly.

"For the moment, nothing actually."

"Then why was I brought here?"

"I'm afraid you only get one question for this conversation and you've already used it."

"What?"

Slade lashed out suddenly, striking the girl in the face while his other hand caught her fall by grabbing the collar around her neck. "I said no questions my little angel. Do you understand?" The girl quietly nodded in response, struggling once again against her restraints. The binding devices began to flash and spark from the repeated force, catching the attention of both Slade and Blood. "Now, you wouldn't be trying to do anything rash now would you?"

A bright flash answered Slade's question as the restraints suddenly gave way to the girl's strength. As she rose to her feet, what appeared to be two massive, feathered wings shot out from her back with such force that Blood was knocked off his feet. Slade didn't have any time for even a witty retort as the girl drove her heel straight into the side of his head with a roundhouse kick before running for the door like the proverbial bat out of hell.

"I suppose we should've seen that coming," Blood remarked as he got back to his feet, though appeared to be in no hurry to go after the girl.

"Send the hoplites after her…and make sure they know not to destroy her. We need her alive."


	9. Chapter 8: Behold the Legion

**Chapter Eight: Behold the Legion**

**"This is Robin calling Cyborg – I've finished searching the Eastern block and I've found nothing.** Please tell me you've got some better news." Robin sat with his communicator in hand atop of his R-cycle, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for a response. With Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire still scouring the other parts of the city, Robin was beginning to wonder if there even were any crimes being committed. He wouldn't put it past Slade to lie to them just to waste their time or maybe even distract them from something bigger. Still, until they had proof that nothing was happening in the city, Robin couldn't just ignore the warning they were given.

"I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I've managed to get the computers to at least start up. The bad news is that it's operating at about 7 capacity and so far all I can get working is the clock and the calculator. Care to know what time it is?"

"Let me know when the scanners are working," Robin sighed bitterly before pocketing his communicator again. With the exception of a few minor petty crimes, which were all clearly not related to Slade, the Titans had found not even the slightest sign of trouble in the city. Everything about today felt wrong to Robin and the fact that it was Slade he was dealing with was making second-guess almost every move he made left Robin more than just worried. He felt stressed like never before. Merely thinking about Slade was making his stomach turn…that psychopath was up to something and here Robin was playing his games like some sort of child. Without the scanner to help them, trying to find a particular crime in a city of this size was like trying to find a particular car in a mall parking lot.

"Robin," a familiar voice called out, snapping the Boy Wonder out of his train of thought. Looking upwards, he saw Starfire coming down to speak with him. "If you do not mind, I would like to have a word with you."

Robin was a bit puzzled by the request at first, especially since she could've easily used the communicator if she wanted to talk, but he didn't realize that Starfire wanted a more private medium. "I…don't think this is a very good time. Can't this wait?"

"It is important," Starfire insisted, which brought about a bit of worry in the other Titan. "I am…concerned about you Robin."

Robin sighed lightly, knowing full well what Starfire was getting at with this line of conversation. It was bad enough that his obsession with Slade was one of his biggest weaknesses but it was so blatantly obvious to everyone just added insult to injury. "Starfire please don't. I know what I'm doing and…"

"Do you really Robin?" she quickly interrupted him. "With only a mere mention of trouble you have already charged into the city and Slade knows that this is what you would do. I fear that you letting yourself be played by Slade once again. He knows how you will react and you are letting your personal feelings impair your judgment."

Robin knew that she spoke the truth and while he wanted to avoid being duped again, he didn't know what else to do. "I know…but what else can I do? I can't let him undermine confidence by making me second-guess every decision with the possibility that he's already anticipated such a move."

"You can let us help you Robin," Starfire said softly, walking over and placing her hand upon his shoulder. "This is our fight as well and you can always count on us to help you. Let us give you another set of eyes in which to view this threat with." Robin returned Starfire's gentle smile with a modest one of his own.

"Alright then, what do you think we should do?"

"Slade has called us out here to lure us into a trap no doubt. I suggest it is us who should spring a trap on him."

"Except we still don't know where they are."

"I have already found one," Starfire grinned confidently. Starfire had already spotted what appeared to be a robbery but she refrained from telling Robin right away so that he wouldn't rush in blindly. Under normal circumstances, Robin might've been a little annoyed that Starfire kept such important information from him…but he understood why she was doing it – she simply wanted to protect him. "Come with me, we'll need to keep quiet though," she said as she moved behind Robin and lifted him off the ground. The R-cycle would announce their arrival like a Gabriel's horn – Slade would undoubtedly expect a less-than-discrete arrival.

Flying Robin several blocks west, Starfire set him down on a low rooftop located across the road from a Wayne Enterprises building. At first, Robin didn't understand how Starfire knew that something was happening her but before he could ask, she silently directed his attention to an unsuspicious, parked police car…that had a broken police helmet just barely visible underneath it. This was definitely no ordinary crime and it had the stench of Slade all over it. "We'll hold here…wait for them to show themselves." Robin whispered as he kept an eye on the entrances of the building.

"We should call for Beast Boy and Raven."

"No…Slade said there were two teams heading into the city. This is only one of the targets and they need to find the other team," Robin answered.

A loud crashing noise echoed through the downtown street as a large freight door on the side of the Wayne Enterprises building was knocked out of its frame from the inside. Through the doorway, two large figures emerged and, without a doubt, Robin recognized them as the same machines from the image the Titans recovered from the Adamantine prison computers. The two looked identical to the picture in fact, large towering machines covered in white and gray rounded armor plates and the distinct lambda symbol on their chest. They didn't appear armed at the moment as their hands were occupied carrying the giant, 10-foot long cargo container on their shoulder. The two machines quickly checked their surroundings before panels opened up on their backs and pods extended out of the openings. Each pod extended downwards until they had stretched down to the waistline of the machines and then the central rod that ran down the pod's length began to glow a bright turquoise and accompanied by the sound of small air jets. The two machines slowly lifted off the ground and began ascending to the sky.

Robin knew that they had to move now if they were to stop the two assailants. Things still didn't feel right for him. If this was a trap, why did assailants appear to be so vulnerable? Perhaps Slade had expected the Titans to find them sooner…or maybe there really was an ambush waiting in the shadows for them. Unfortunately, unless Robin and Starfire wanted to stop them, they had to move now and make the best of their element of surprise. As they drew closer to the building Robin and Starfire were on, Robin knew it was time to spring the trap. A special disc flew through the air and latched onto one of the machine's chest, catching both of their attentions. A few quiet beeps spelt out the machine's impending doom before it detonated in a powerful blast that knocked the machine from the sky. Seconds later, a beam of neon green flew from Starfire's hands and struck down the other machine, sending it crashing into the middle of the road.

"Alright, who are you and where's Slade?" Robin demanded as he landed on the road near the two down machines. Smoking and battered up, both machines appeared to still be functioning as they rose to their feet.

"We are Hoplites of the great Legion," one of the machines spoke in a mildly computerized voice that was firm, bold, and commanding. "And Commander Slade is far too busy to deal with the likes of you."

"Do not forget HA-1, we must deliver the packages," the other hoplite commented, referring to the large cargo containers that lay on the road.

"Reinforcements are already on their way. We must hold until then," the first one answered. On their backs, a holster on each of their backpacks opened to reveal their weapons. Each pulled out the carbine rifle – short and streamline with a very rectangular, compact shape with a stock with a handle molded right into its shape. Each hoplite took aim at Robin and opened fire with a flurry of blue energy bolts, forcing Robin to take cover behind a car. Fortunately, Starfire had stayed behind so the hoplites didn't notice her approach from above, strafing the two hoplites and drawing their fire.

Robin made sure to exploit the hoplite's mistake, charging in with his staff drawn and taking down the first hoplite with a drop kick. Spinning quickly, his staff took out the second hoplite at the legs. Behind Robin, the first hoplite rose back to his feet with rifle in hand fixed on Robin but once again Starfire came flying in to cover him, driving her fist into the hoplite so powerfully that her fist went straight through it's lower abdomen, sending a spray of wires, hoses, hydraulics, and fluids. The hoplite fell to his back, convulsing sporadically as its systems began shutting down one by one. The still functioning hoplite wasn't able to get back to its feet in time to prevent Robin from standing upon its chest and pointing the end of his staff in the face of the hoplite.

"I'm going to ask one last time, where is Slade?" Robin demanded angrily, making it clear that he was prepared to drive his staff through the machine's face if his questions weren't answered.

"If you're going to ask questions, you should probably ask them to somebody more important," a new voice called out loudly. It wasn't like hoplites; it was far more arrogant and goading than the hoplites. Starfire and Robin looked to the doorway of the Wayne Enterprises building to see two new figures waiting for them. The first figure was slightly shorter than the hoplites and much shorter than the large figure that accompanied it. Unlike the hoplites, its armor was much more blocky and even larger with broad armor plates covering the armors and legs with shingled plates covering over the vital joints, lower abdomen, and pelvis, all painted a jet black with blood red trim. The lambda emblem was engraved upon the large chest plate and shoulder plates, while a wicked grin stretched across its human-like face. Unlike the hoplites, there was a lack of sensor or communication antennae on his head, which was jet black on the sides and back but with a transparent, red-tinted visor covering its face. "You could ask us but I'm afraid we're not going to tell you anything either but at least we do actually know Commander Slade is."

"Perhaps if you can beat us, we'll give you a hint," the accompanying giant of a machine added. The second one was far larger than the hoplites, standing over fourteen feet high with arms as thick as tree trunks though with rounded armor plating much similar to the hoplites, though slightly thinner and less protecting. The lambda emblem bore proudly across his chest in gold-etched metal atop of his silver and blue-trimmed armor plating. Like the machine next to it, the larger machine's head was lacking in antennae and human-like in features, though a visor covered his eyes except when they flashed red periodically. It's massive forearms hung by its side, one hand gripping a long metal club menacingly. "The details of your exploits are legendary Titans, we would be honored to do battle with you."

"And who are you two?" Robin remarked as he stepped off of the hoplite to face the newcomers.

"We are generals of the great Legion," the shorter one spoke as he folded his arms across his chest. "I am known as Achilles."

"And I am Heracles."

"Interesting names. Well now that the introductions are out of the way, I guess we should get down to business," Robin said sternly, annoyed with having to face new opponents just to get to Slade. Robin and Starfire charged at the two generals and met with surprising results. Robin jumped into the air with his staff ready to strike, only to be batted out of the air like a softball pitch by Heracles' club. Starfire met with slightly better result as she decked Achilles' across the face, sending the robot flying; however, due to Robin's failure at attacking Heracles left the giant robot free to turn to his side and bring his metal club straight down into Starfire's back, slamming her hard into the ground.

"You handle the boy, I shall take care of this girl," Achilles answered as he picked himself up from the road. Despite having left a wake in the asphalt, Achilles didn't appear to be damaged, which would be fitting to his name. Starfire pulled herself out of the divot she made in the ground and focused her eyebeams onto the advancing Achilles. The green energy beam was met by one of Achilles' arm shield, splashing harmlessly against it and succeeding only in slowly Achilles' advance. Before he could get too close, Starfire change her tactics, flying towards the machine and striking hard with a series of punches. She thought she had the upper hand as she continued landing hit after hit on Achilles until he lashed back with a shoulder check right after she landed a hit. It caught her so off-guard that she back to the earth and was pinned down with a foot upon her chest. "You cannot harm me fleshling," Achilles taunted arrogantly. "Thetium armor protects my entire body – it cannot be damaged by your puny powers."

A short distance off, Robin was struggling to try and get close enough to Heracles in order to inflict any damage. The giant had monstrous range and surprisingly fast reflexes, not to mention more force that Robin has ever had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of. Robin started fighting more defensively, keeping himself at a distance from Heracles and waiting for the giant to take strikes at him. Robin was more than quick enough to avoid the thick, metal club. Even still, when Robin jumped in after dodging a downward strike, Heracles proved his resilience by using his free hand and swatting Robin out of the air. Robin didn't even hit the ground right away as he was knocked down right into Heracles' leg, which propelled him across the road and landing hard on the sidewalk, slamming into a mailbox in the process.

"Son of a…" Robin groaned as he reached for his communicator. "Raven…Beast Boy, I could use some help!"

"I wish I could," Raven replied, her voice sounding hurried and preoccupied. "But we've got our hands full over here. I have to go now!"

* * *

"I have to go now!" Raven excused herself from her conversation with Robin, pocketing her communicator in time to raise a shield in front of her to block the oncoming lance from hitting her. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to counter-attack and she was forced to remain on the defense as the lance was struck against her shield. What Raven was waiting for, though, soon arrived in the form of Beast Boy, as a rhinoceros, who rammed their opponent into a nearby wall.

Covered in the bricks of a smashed-in wall, their mechanical opponent soon arose to its feet. It wasn't a hoplite like the others though, but instead of a modified version of the robot. Its upper body was identical with the same armor plating and symbol, but instead of a regular pair of legs, the machine had a large lower body with four long legs arranged akin to a horse, thus earning this form of robot its designation, the centaur. It held its lance firmly in both hands before charging towards Beast Boy, who changed into a small bird in order to avoid the thrust of the lance. Beast Boy flew closer to the centaur before shifting into an octopus and wrapping his tentacles tightly around the machines upper body. The centaur staggered about as it tried to remove the annoying Titan, slamming the shaft of its lance against the spongy octopus with little effect.

Raven took the opportunity to lift several nearby cars into the air and moved them into position. "Move Beast Boy!" she called out to her teammate, who heeded by turning back into a bird and flying away. The moment her friend was out of harm's way the first car crashed into the centaur, pinning the machine beneath the heavy metal wreck. A second car, positioned higher, was released and landed atop of the first one, further crushing their opponent.

"Did you get it?" Beast Boy remarked as he landed next to Raven.

"If there's more of these things, we're going to be in for a very long fight," Raven groaned lightly. The two Titans had enough trouble just handling one on these centaurs and if there indeed was a 'Legion', that likely meant many, many more of them. Perhaps even a small army of them.

"What do you suppose they're after?"

"It's always something that we're not willing to give them. We should hurry to help Robin and Starfire."

Sadly, Beast Boy and Raven's fight was not over yet as the sound of shifting metal herald the centaur's return. The cars burst into pieces as the centaur bounded into the air, landing loudly between the two Titans. Its hind legs kicked out, toppling over Beast Boy easily, before the centaur reared high and brought it forelegs down upon Raven. She just barely managed to jump back in time to evade the crushing blow, which left footprints in the asphalt. Without its lance, the centaur had difficulty trying to hit Raven at close ranges, especially because of the major discrepancy in their heights. When Raven tried to put some distance between them, the centaur tried a new approach and charged her with no intention of stopping. It moved with such speed that Raven only managed to avoid the brunt of the collision, catching the edge of the speeding machine and falling to the ground painfully.

The centaur began its second approach, this time with Raven still too stunned to mount an effective defense. The most she could muster was a weak shield in front of her, which only absorbed some of the force before the centaur collided with her again. Fortune somehow smiled upon Raven though as not one leg stepped upon her frail figure as the centaur plowed over her, moving a short distance before rounding for a third run.

The third run would fail though for Beast Boy made his return known by pouncing upon the centaur as an emerald lion. The unexpected attack caused the centaur to lose its balance, crashing hard into the ground. Beast Boy quickly changed into a gorilla and used his weight to keep the centaur on the ground while he wrapped his beefy arms around the machines' upper body. The armor began to creek loudly as Beast Boy pulled hard on the machine, twisting its upper body in ways that it wasn't quite meant to. With a bit of extra torque, Beast Boy tore the entire torso right off and threw the wreck across the road. Victorious, Beast Boy hurried to check on his friend.

"Raven, you alright?" Beast Boy asked, helping his teammate back to her feet.

"I was run over by a horse, what do you think?" Raven remarked, using her friend for balance.

"I'm sure you can walk it off," Beast Boy chuckled lightly. "At least it wasn't that bad of a fight."

A weird noise from behind caught the Titan's attention – several loud metal clicks followed by the distinct noise of a high voltage current, which grew in intensity over a very brief period of time. "Why must you always open your mouth?" Raven sighed before an energy weapon discharged, sending a beam of energy straight into the road behind them, resulting in an explosion that blew both of them off their feet.

"I'm afraid the fight has only just begun for you little humans," a venomous, commanding voice chuckled devilishly at the two Titans. Raven and Beast Boy looked to the new arrival that held a massive cannon in one hand - two long prongs surged with energy that pulsed down the length of the barrel with a crackle that made the hair on their necks stand on end. The wicked machine that held onto the weapon was roughly the same height of a hoplite, covered in blocky, shingled, gold-hued armor and the prominent black lambda symbol upon its chest. A red visor shielded over its optics, flanked by armor plating that sculpted its head in the shape of a helmet and lower face-visor. A single crescent stretched across the length of its head down the sagittal plane, which housed a variety of sensors to aid it in combat. The large cannon was mounted onto a hydraulic arm that connected onto the mid-back of the machine, supporting, guiding, and powering the energy weapon and flanking the mounting point of the cannons arm were two massive rocket boosters, capable of generating hundreds of a pounds of a thrust.

"And just who are you?" Beast Boy demanded.

"The name is Bellerophon, grand general of the almighty Legion."

"So you work for Slade, huh?"

"Yes, I do serve the great Slade. I have been told a great deal about you and the other Titans. The chance to face you in battle was an opportunity that I could not pass up. I only wish I could show you my true might. You shall merely settle with a mild taste!" The two prongs began to glow as the energy filled the entire space between them before discharging as a powerful energy beam. Raven managed to raise a shield up to protect her and her friend but it wasn't strong enough to contain the beam's crushing power, blasting apart the shield and blowing the two Titans back to the ground. Bellerophon simply laughed loudly at the Ttian's suffering, firing another blast as the Titans scrambled to their feet. Raven was thrown off her feet, crashing hard into the side of a car, knocking her out cold. Beast Boy cringed in pain on the asphalt, trying his best to fight through the pain and get his body moving again.

"I am almost disappointed by this performance but I was built by the best," Bellerophon boasted as he walked up to Beast Boy. "Know this green human, this is the beginning of the end for you Titans."

* * *

"Starfire!" Robin shouted in dismay, watching his teammate be slammed into a building by the powerful Heracles. During the chaotic fight, the two Titans had managed to switch targets, though with no more success than before. Heracles proved to be a formidable match for Starfire's strength, even over-powering her on several occasions and Achilles, who easily shrugged off Starfire's starbolts, was hardly being bothered by Robin's strikes. At least Robin was able to hold his own against Achilles, who chose to wield its spear in the fight against the Boy Wonder.

"You cannot defeat us boy but you're welcome to try. I do so love watching you pitiful efforts," Achilles scoffed as he barred Robin's attempts to help his girlfriend. Achilles' lengthy spear bore a massive blade at the tip, forcing Robin to be wary about closing the distance with the armored warrior.

"I've defeated people a lot bigger than you," Robin said confidently, swinging his staff hard at his enemy.

"Ah but have you defeated people who are as invulnerable as I am?" Achilles retorted, easily blocking Robin's staff with the shaft of his spear.

"Nothing's invulnerable," Robin insisted, pressing hard on his offense with a quick succession of strikes, composed of hard swings and quick stabs. Almost as if just to rub it in, Achilles allowed Robin's attacks to make contact and while the force of the strikes pushed Achilles about, Robin's staff was going to break before Achilles' armor did. Growing weary of the Titan's attacks, Achilles halted Robin's attacks by grabbing the end of his staff and quickly driving the blunt end of his spear into Robin's head.

"Even if you are right, I assure you that you won't be around long enough to figure it out – not that you would even be able to really exploit a weak point in my armor," Achilles spoke in a very condescending tone as he knelt down beside the stunned Robin.

Refusing to surrender, Robin reached out and grabbed the collar of Achilles armor and tried to pull himself up. "You…won't get away…with this," he grunted painfully.

"Oh like you could really do anything to stop us," Achilles chuckled lightly as he grabbed Robin by the scruff of his shirt and brought Robin's head colliding with his own. A few weak groan was all could muster before collapsing to the ground again. Though he could move, he was able to cling to consciousness to catch bits and pieces of the conversation going on nearby.

"Would you hurry up and finish with the girl Heracles – Slade demanded that we deliver the package on time."

"But she is fun. Look how she still struggles to stand despite all the punishment. I do not get many opportunities to fight somebody so resilient. Besides, I may not get another opportunity to do so."

"No more games Heracles. Finish her off so we may be on our way. The next phase is about to begin."


	10. Chapter 9: Of Angels and Demons

**Chapter Nine: Of Demons and Angels**

**"Robin, come in!** Robin! Oh for crying out loud," Cyborg shouted in defeat before slamming his fist against wall next to the computer console. After having spent over an hour restoring the computer to working order, Cyborg wasted the last ten minutes trying to raise any of his friends on the communicators. Not one responded to his calls, which only worried Cyborg further. Everything about this situation reeked of a trap and if something had horrible had happened to his friends while he sat at base fixing computer systems, he'd never be able to forgive himself. "Just perfect. I don't even know where they are," Cyborg muttered under his breath as he tried to run a trace on the Titan's communicators. "Work dammit!" All the shouting in the world wasn't going to get the trace programs running though and the computer was still only at about 50 operational capacity. On the bright side though, Cyborg had succeeded in getting other parts of the scanners working and while he couldn't find the Titans at the moment, Cyborg now knew where the crimes had been committed. Robin and the others couldn't be very far from the two locations.

"I better get some help," Cyborg decided as he pulled up the computer's address book. If Robin and the others had indeed been beaten or incapacitated, Cyborg wasn't going to be walking to the same fate without some backup. However, the problem with that plan was figuring out who would be able to help? The Titans East were too far out…Jacqueline was still in France…and almost all of the Titans' allies were also too far out to be able to help fast enough. "Who'd be fast enough to get there in time? Ah-ha! Speed – of course!" The epiphany came to him like a blinding flash of speed and the answer was exactly that. Opening a new channel, his hail was answered even before he said anything.

"You've reached the Kid Flash help line, how may I direct your call?" Kid Flash's signature smart-aleck tone answered, always aware that a call on the communicator meant that his help was needed with something.

"We've got a situation here, can you get back to Jump City?"

"That's kind of a silly questions to ask," Kid Flash chuckled in response.

"Well last time I called you, you were in Katmandu. This is serious so double-time it!"

"So what's the situation boss?" Kid Flash's voice this time came from behind Cyborg rather than from the computer, startling him.

"When did…oh forget it," Cyborg sighed quickly as he turned to face to face the speedster. "The other Titans went to investigate these two incidents but I can't reach them anymore. I need you to head over to these coordinates and figure out what happened while I head to the other one," Cyborg explained as he pointed out the locations on a city map displayed on the computer screen.

"And what sort of bad guys can I expect to find there?"

"Not sure but it'll probably be big and tough, so be on your guard."

"I know, I know. I'll be back in a flash…heh, no pun intended," Kid Flash replied as he shrugged off the idea of a serious threat.

"Just don't get in over your head," Cyborg added, though it was rather pointless to try and warn the quick-thinking young hero.

"Come on, ever since we put those Brotherhood of Evil guys away, nothing really big ever happens in this city anymore."

"Uh, yeah…about that. Most of them were busted out of prison," Cyborg broke the bad news to Kid Flash a bit reluctantly.

"What the heck?" Kid Flash shouted in disbelief.

"There was a incident in France and…"

"No, I mean what the heck is that?" he interrupted as directed Cyborg's attention to the window where an unusual object was hurtling towards the window. Neither had time to take a good look as they jumped to cover as the object burst through the glass and plowed through the replacement living room table. Cyborg easily recognized the metal-warrior hoplite but the young, winged female that was entangled in combat with the hoplite was a complete mystery to both he and Kid Flash. What was surprising to both Kid Flash and Cyborg was that, while going toe-to-toe with a larger war machine, the girl was winning the fight. The hoplite had already been disarmed and was struggling to get a grip on the situation while the girl continued pounding on its face with her fists.

"Do you think we should we step in?" Cyborg asked as the two heroes watched in disbelief while the mysterious girl's blows began to crack the armor and glass of the hoplite's head.

"Which one if the good guy?"

"The girl. The robot is who we're up against."

"She looks pretty angry."

"Maybe we should just give her some space."

In an act of desperation, a small compartment on the hoplite's upper thigh slid open, revealing a holstered pistol. The two Titans didn't even notice the hoplite's actions until they saw the weapon aimed right into the girl's face and fired. Mercilessly, the hoplite continued firing the pistol into the girl before Kid Flash rushed in and swiped the pistol out of the hoplite's hand. A direct blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon was enough to punch through the hoplite's already-weakened armor.

"Hey Cyborg, you should take a look at this," Kid Flash motioned for Cyborg to join him at the side of the fallen girl. Curiously, Cyborg went to see what Kid Flash's concern was all about and what he saw stunned him. The round from the pistol had only grazed across the girl's face, leaving behind not a trail of damaged flesh, but blackened steel stretching from her eye to several inches past her hairline. The pupil of the artificial eye, surrounded by a chrome-metal zygomatic and frontal bone, glowed a dim red while the other, seemingly normal, eye stared lifelessly up at Cyborg. "Ever seen something like this before?"

"I've never even heard of anything like this," Cyborg answered as he carefully lifted the girl off the ground and cradled her limp frame in his arms. "Listen, you better go investigate what happened in the city. I'm going to…uh, figure out what to do with this…girl."

"I'll make it quick then. Whoever sent tinman over there after her will probably send more," Kid Flash agreed before bolting out the door. Cyborg took a look at the wrecked hoplite for a moment before looking back to the battered girl in his arms. Upon a closer examination, Cyborg noticed multiple tears and scorch marks in her armor and her body underneath. Wherever she came from, Cyborg figured she must've gone through one hell of a fight to get free.

"Let's try and figure out what the heck you are first," Cyborg said softly to himself as he carried the girl off to a better location to see what he could do. A lot of questions were running through his head aside from the obvious 'who was this girl?' such as how was she connected to Slade and his machine army? Was Slade after her for something? Maybe she knew something about what Slade was up to or knew something about the machines that the Titans were going up against. These questions were likely not going to be answered for some time as the girl looked to be in very bad condition.

Just outside, clinging to the outside walls of the tower, a cloaked shade watched as Cyborg exited the living room. Just like the shade that Blackfire had defeated in the tower, the hoplite soon began to glow red as the self-destruct mechanism cause the robot to rapidly decompose and in seconds there was nothing left for Cyborg to examine. Their secrets had to remain that way for the time being…they could not learn about Brother Blood's involvement just yet. "SA-1 calling command, HB-2 has been disposed of. The Titans have control of the package and a third party is moving into the city at high speed."

"Kid Flash no doubt. Return to base SA-1, your work there is done."

"Yes commander Slade."

Just on the edge of the Titan's island, Kid Flash had his communicator in hand as he contemplated his next move. Though the machine that came crashing through the window moments ago didn't intimidate him, he realized that getting a bit of assistance would be a good idea. Besides, he was really looking for any opportunity to call her. On the communicator's screen, Kid Flash was surprised to see an unfamiliar face answer his call for it was the Tamaranean ex-princess, Blackfire, who was now on the other end.

"Can I help you?" Blackfire asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"Um, sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number."

"You look vaguely familiar," Blackfire remarked as an eyebrow rose up in puzzlement.

"Well I am a famous super hero," he smirked, taking the moment to let his reputation shine.

"Now I remember! I saw you frozen in a big crystal block in the battle against Kronos."

"Oh…" he groaned in defeat. "Don't remind me about that, please. Listen, I'd love to sit and chat but I should get going."

"But you're the one who called me."

"It was a mistake. I'm looking for a friend of mine, Jinx."

"Oh, one second," Blackfire excused herself and moved off-screen. "Hey Jinx, it's for you!" A few moments later, the more-familiar face of the pink-haired criminal-turned-heroine stepped into view.

"Hey there," Jinx greeted her friend warmly. "What's up?"

"Just the usual protecting the city sort of thing. Since when did you get a housemate?"

"Blackfire? She just moved a little while ago actually."

"You never offered me a room in your place…"

"You never asked. Now what do you want?" Jinx demanded, starting to grow a little impatient as well.

"There's a bit of situation going on with the Titans in the city. I was wondering if you would be so kind as to give me a hand with it. You can bring your friend along too if you'd like."

"What sort of situation?"

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Blackfire grumbled as she folded her arms across her chest. She sat in the passenger seat of one of the red sports cars that the HIVE Five had in their garage while Jinx sat behind the wheel.

"Must you complain about everything? Nobody said you had to come," Jinx remarked as the car swerved around a corner and continued down the road. After Kid Flash had explained the situation to Jinx, she had agreed to investigate one of the locations and, for the sake of speed, borrowed one of the cars that originally 'belonged' to Billy Numerous. "I asked and you said yes."

"You insisted and I reluctantly agreed because you weren't going to shut up unless I did. I don't see why I have to come anyways," Blackfire snapped in response.

"What's your problem with coming anyways? I'm not asking you to part with a leg or something."

"This hero stuff. Do I look like a hero? I don't do the hero stuff," she explained, growing a bit defensive as the argument continued. "I helped you because I need a place to stay, I fought Kronos because I needed to get off that crazy demon world, and if I start doing more of that do-gooder stuff I'm just going to wind up being compared to my sister even more than I was back home."

The car screeched to a halt on the side of the road and then the engine was cut while silence overtook the interior of the automobile. Jinx finally looked over to the still-pouting Blackfire with a bit more puzzled look on her face. "You're just going to ignore this because you don't want to be compared to Starfire? That's the stupidest reason I've ever heard."

"I'd rather not talk about that right now. The hero thing just isn't who I am, okay? Now drop it," Blackfire said as she got out of the car in order to prevent Jinx from continuing the conversation. The last thing Blackfire wanted was to be more like her sister. The sisters might've made peace with one another but that didn't mean Blackfire was going to start being some sort of hero. The thought of being a hero just didn't sit with her. Jinx didn't argue with Blackfire on the issue as she exited the vehicle shortly after her. Jinx had learned quickly that Blackfire wasn't somebody you could force into a situation if she truly didn't wish to go with it. The fact that Blackfire came told Jinx that there was a small part of the Tamaranean that was looking for their own destiny, much like herself.

"That's not a good sign," Jinx muttered as she pointed over to a hole in the side of a building with a trademark purple boot hanging limply from. Blackfire hurried over to find her sister lying unconscious atop a pile of bricks and concrete. "I found Robin," Jinx shouted from down the road to her comrade. Carefully placing her sister over her shoulder, Blackfire flew out and headed to Jinx to see about Robin's condition. He lay on the road, also unconscious, and bleeding slightly from the forehead, which Jinx was tending to with some gauze she borrowed from Robin's belt.

"Definitely not a good sign," Blackfire sighed lightly.

"You think whoever attacked you in the tower was behind this as well?"

"Maybe but there's no sign of who kicked their butts." Blackfire took a quick glance up and down the road and found no evidence of what the Titans had fought here. Whoever it was must've cleaned up before leaving. Both of them thought it was strange that after such a fight, the Titans had simply been left behind on the scene. Was it out of arrogance or maybe just another step in the grand scheme of things? Whatever the reason, Cyborg was certainly going to be relieved to see that his friends weren't too seriously injured.

"Put them into the backseat, okay? I'm going to go inside and see if I can find anything else," Jinx instructed before she headed off towards the Wayne Enterprises building from which the Legion had broken into earlier that day.

"Great, if I get dragged into some stupid 'save the city' thing again, I'm leaving this dirtball planet," Blackfire grumbled bitterly as she loaded Robin and Starfire into the back of the sports car. "Didn't spend the past 17 years trying to make a name for myself just to wind up being just like her."

"Don't mind me asking but what's so wrong with that?" Kid Flash asked, now standing a few feet behind her. Cradled in his arms was an unconscious Raven, relatively unharmed but was unresponsive to Kid Flash's attempts to wake her.

"X'Hal! Where in blazes did you come from?" Blackfire yelped in surprised with one hand clutching at her chest.

"Heh, I guess nobody told you about me being the Fastest Boy Alive," Kid Flash chuckled, having always gotten a laugh out of how easily he can startle people thanks to his super speed. "Could you put her in the back seat as well? I found her and Beast Boy unconscious at the other site."

"I suppose nobody told you how annoying that is either," Blackfire quipped as she took Raven from his arms and carefully put her in the front seat instead. "And to answer your stupid questions, it's none of your damn business."

"Maybe so, maybe not. Can't blame a guy for being curious," Kid Flash remarked playfully as he zipped to the other side of the car. "I remember Starfire talking about you once. She spoke fairly well about you even though you were still a criminal."

"That's cause she's a naïve idiot," she scoffed in response. "And you're probably making that up. Up until the Kronos incident, she was practically ashamed of who I was. She clung to her old memories of me to cope with the disappointment. Now I'm sure you've got more super-heroing to do, so be a good boy scout and hop to it."

"What have you got against heroes?" Kid Flash remarked, keeping his cool despite Blackfire's bitterness. Her temperament wasn't much unlike Jinx's when he first met her and his persistence was able to break through that cynicism and anger. He figured if he could work a bit of that magic again on Blackfire, Jinx would appreciate having a slightly less irritable housemate.

"Cause you people live in a fantasy world, now buzz off!" Kid Flash decided not to say anything more on the issue and dashed off to get the last Titan.

* * *

"All the Titans are accounted for and asides from a bit of roughing up, they all seem to be fine," Kid Flash reported to Cyborg as the pair stood in Cyborg's room. Upon a flatbed next to Cyborg's computer was the mysterious young girl from earlier. Cyborg was busy working on the computer while Kid Flash merely eyed the young girl's damaged face. "We've put them in the hospital wing and Jinx and Blackfire are looking after them right now. So…have you figured out who this girl is…or what she is?"

"Still working on all that, I've been a little distracted getting everything in the tower up and running. When Slade wrecked out mainframe, it also ripped apart all the personal computers that were connected with the LAN. I went back to the living room and the wrecked machine was replaced with a big pile of ashes. They must have some sort of self-destruct," Cyborg explained as he moved from one computer terminal to the next one. "Did you find out what happened at the two scenes?"

"Aside from your friends getting shown the hard side of a brick wall, it turned out to be nothing more than a simple robbery." The fact puzzled him, Cyborg, and Jinx; it struck them all as odd that such powerful machines would be used for something as petty as a robbery. "I spoke with the people at both sites – primarily it was raw material and computer equipment that was stolen. Several tonnes of metals, ores, and other building material along with several super computers, a couple hundred yards of fiber optics, various computer parts, and something called a Ressoult Mark V…um, any idea what that is?

"It's a new type of super computer processor. When the Titans Tower was first built, its computer used a Ressoult Mark II before I built her a new one. The Mark V is fast and powerful but it's not something you'd waste time stealing considering there are equally powerful ones available all over the city."

"Maybe it was just grabbed because it was there."

"Slade doesn't do that unfortunately. Every move he makes out is carefully planned and executed with full expectation of the likely results. The Ressoult Mark V was grabbed because Slade needs it." Cyborg took a moment to pause and think about the possibilities of Slade possessing such a piece of computer equipment. "Well with the right combination of components and a few upgrades it could be made into something particularly powerful but he wouldn't have the expertise for it and I don't know of anybody apart from myself that could get it to work."

"Listen, I'm going to head into the city and see if I can pick up a trail," Kid Flash excused himself. "Keep me in the loop about all this, okay? I get the feeling that this is going to be something big and I want to be a part of it." The two said their good-byes before Kid Flash headed out of the tower, taking his time on his way out. Cyborg returned to work on his computer as he sought to restore his computer's analytical programs so he could get an idea of what he sort of 'girl' they were dealing with. She was still unresponsive and since the medical systems didn't get any readings from her, Cyborg had a feeling he was dealing with something that was, at the very least, half-machine if not more. After letting more restoration programs run on his computer, Cyborg returned to the girl's side, taking another look at her.

"There's something…special about you. I can't quite put my finger on it yet," Cyborg muttered softly to himself as he took a closer look to the injury to her face. With the exception of the expose metallic skull pieces, Cyborg could've mistaken her for just another teenager with powers like the others. She sort of reminded of one of the students at the HIVE academy when he worked undercover as Stone - Angel was her name if he recalled correctly. This girl was much different though. Another oddity about her though was a missing left hand. He distinctly recalled her possessing one when she arrived at the tower but now there was just a metal plate over the wrist with a few noticeable indents. The possibility of this girl being entirely mechanical had been considered, though he had not seen a machine made so…life-like before. Kid Flash made a remark earlier about how soft and warm her skin was to the touch even though the lack of bleeding around her head wound suggested that it was not real flesh either. There were too many possibilities and once again Cyborg found himself swamped with questions and no answers right away. How he hated having to wait for answers to come.

Fortunately for him, he wouldn't have much time to dwell on answers as a knocking on his door took his attention away from the matter at hand. "Come on in," Cyborg called out to whoever was on the other side. When the door opened, it was Raven who entered. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I'll be fine," Raven groaned lightly. "Starfire's awake too but the others are still out. Jinx told me about our mystery girl."

"Yeah, she's the talk around the water cooler today. Once I get my computer working I can start seeing if I can bring her about. I'm not exactly sure how much I'll get once Robin's awake though. He'll probably have me working like a dog trying to decipher Slade's plans from what's been stolen. He's going to be on full Slade mode after this."

"Hopefully Starfire will be able to keep him in the real world," Raven commented as she wandered over to the unconscious girl upon the repair bed. "Blackfire and Jinx are returning to the city. They said they'll be keeping an eye on things in the city for us and will keep in touch with us. I think we're going to need all the help we can get with this Legion."

"Legion?"  
"That's what they called themselves. Beast Boy and faced this large…half-horse machine and this general that called himself Bellerophon. Starfire and Robin went up against something called hoplites and two generals called Achilles and Heracles."

"This is a big leap from the simple-minded robots that Slade had the last time we encountered him."

"Which was almost two years ago. He's been gone a long time and he's probably been up to a lot since then," Raven answered, being her realistic self. "He kept hidden for a long time. Who knows what he's accomplished since then. You think this girl might…you know, like you?" Cyborg had been enjoying the break from the topic of the unknown angel.

"It's possible. If she is then…"

"Do I detect a hint of excitement in your tone?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well aside from a missing hand she looks perfectly human. If she is even partly machine then somebody developed this technology. Are you going to tell me that you haven't once thought of the possibility of adapting that technology to your own?"

"It um, has crossed my mind once or twice. I'm trying to avoid wishful thinking if you don't mind," Cyborg smiled to let Raven know that he was keeping an objective perspective on things. They didn't know who or what this girl was…there was no telling what she would bring to the Titans.


	11. Chapter 10: Crossing Paths

**Chapter Ten: Crossing Paths**

**It was a crisp, cool night in Jump City with a slight overcast and gentle flurries to add a pleasant serenity to the end of the day. **It didn't snow a great deal in Jump City, even during the middle of winter, and even when it did the snow rarely last for more than a day or two. Snow was not part of the Tamaranean weather systems, so Blackfire was still unused to the strange water crystals that fell from the sky and danced through the air like thousand of free-style dancers. Blackfire didn't mind it; in fact, she actually liked the snow and wished that it would snow a little more often in this coastal city, which according to Cyborg wouldn't happen very often. It was a pity but Blackfire was able to roam freely – she had always been a nomad at heart.

"Psychopathic war machines…regular old psychopaths…and a merry band of do-gooders that have dragged me into the middle of it all. What did I do to X'Hal to wind up here?" Blackfire muttered to herself as she sat on the edge of a skyscraper, letting one leg dangle over the edge while her back was up against the corner column. "I'm going to wind up with another hole in my chest…I just know it." Sighing lightly to herself and brushing a hand through her hair, the thought of what she was going to do with herself ran through her mind once more. In hindsight, she was certainly do much better than she was a year ago or even six months ago…though it wasn't hard to top a pierced lung and several broken bones. She had spent the past six months brushing back up on her combat skills and meditation, traveling to different parts of the world to see what she could learn from this planet. The training session with the True Master was sort of the grand finale to many months of honing her skills. Part of her had been hopeful of challenging her sister to a duel but the recent turn of events have obviously put those plans on hold. A pity…she really was looking forward to that rematch.

While she might still be a little lost in this crazy world, at least Blackfire could check off 'find permanent place of residence' from her list of things to do, where it nestled between 'duel Starfire' and 'carve out destiny'. Okay so there wasn't much on her to-do list but it was a lot longer than how that list used to be a year ago, infinitely times longer than it once was, though everything was infinitely times larger than a non-existent list. A year ago the only things that were on Blackfire's mind were revenge and finding some new way to have a good time. Now it was finding ways to have a good time and finding something to do with her life that she could talk about without having somebody getting pissed off with her.

"Why does everyone think I should try giving that super hero business a shot? Is it just because Koriand'r is one? That's an idiotic and demeaning reason for wanting somebody else to do something. I'm not a good person…I have the moral flexibility of a zinbar smuggler. I've got a criminal record a mile long. They don't know half the crap I've done and…they think I can just brush all that aside with a few good deeds. I can't erase everything I've done, I can't change who I am. I'm Komand'r, rebellious bad girl with a violent temper…" her tone conveyed the obvious disapproval of her own reputation. Again, a few years ago she would've waved that reputation around happily, now it just left a foul taste in her mouth. "What the heck is wrong with me?"

She watched the white wisps of her breath disperse through the winter air as the lights throughout the city gradually flicked off one by one. In about an hour, the city was almost completely dark save for the street lamps that kept most of the main streets well lit. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught something unusual moving across the rooftops. Wasn't one of the Legion robots…it was too small but out of idle curiosity, Blackfire decided to take off and fly after it.

"He's fast," Blackfire thought, keeping her distance and making sure she remained unseen by the target, who was only just a dark speck in the distance. She found the chase rather interesting as she was led through alleyways, over building tops, and down back roads until the trail finally ended at the Jump City Museum of Natural Science. "Neat. I always wanted to see the dinosaur exhibits," she mused and flew up to the rooftop. "Whoa, wait a second…why am I going after a stupid little robbery? It's just a pointless little…hey, what's this?" Blackfire stooped down to take a look at a small device that had been attached to the open skylight. "Cool, it's a biometric sensory disruptor. You could hack right into the security mainframe from here and mask your presence altogether. This is…so cool!" While she might not be a criminal anymore, it didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate the hard work of other people. With the device in place, the thief could take all the time they wanted without any of the sensors or other security measures even noticing that something was wrong. Blackfire knew she just had to meet this guy…if only to just shake his hand and maybe punch his lights out. The Titans had lots of great thieves for enemies, all of which were excellent fighters – Blackfire was itching to vent some of her personal frustrations.

Taking the same route through the window as the thief, Blackfire slowly descended into the darkened atrium of the museum. With so many different hallways and corridors, Blackfire wasn't certain which way her target went. A lucky glance to a nearby sign showed her the information that she sought – Jump City was hosting a rare collection of gemstones and minerals. What thief wouldn't turn up that opportunity? It would definitely be Blackfire's target of choice…but then again she had a sweet spot for gems.

Located in the northeast section of the museum, Blackfire silently made her way through the darkened halls until she had arrived at the exhibit. Surrounding her were dozens of stones in varying sizes, all kept sealed within glass cases with little information plaques below them. It was almost enough to make her want to start being a thief again, especially when she saw the ancient suit of ceremonial armor that was shingled by carved jade. Despite a need to stay silent, Blackfire had to let out an impressed whistle at the craftsmanship of the carved green minerals. What surprised Blackfire the most was that she appeared to be mistaken about the target. Not one exhibit was missing.

Blackfire was about to leave, reluctantly accepting her mistake, when a strange 'whoosh' noise echoed through the empty museum. Due the darkness, she didn't even know what was going on until something suddenly bound around her tightly, pinning her arms against her body and knocking her to the ground. The Tamaranean wriggled on the ground as she tried to free herself from her bindings but to little avail. A loud click was followed by the main lights of the room coming to life, flooding the room in the white glow.

"Well, well…if it isn't my favourite little alien girl. Where are…wait a second…" The voice was noticeably masked but had stopped suddenly for some reason seconds before a black, caped figured landed on the ground in front of Blackfire. The center of his black suit and skull-decaled mask bore a distinct red x, thus lending to the criminal's alias – Red X. He knelt down and took a close look at Blackfire, slightly surprised by what he saw. "You're not Starfire."

"No kidding!" she snapped bitterly.

"Definitely not," Red X chuckled lightly. "But you are the same race and I'm willing to bet you're related – I can see the family resemblance."

"Yeah yeah, she's my annoying little sister. Now could you be a good little boy and get this thing off me?"

"Sisters, eh? I was hoping for twin but I guess I can settle with older," Red X mused before running one finger through a lock of her hair, which quickly infuriated her. "Honestly, I prefer red though."

"How do you like pink?" Blackfire growled before blasting her eyebeams straight into his chest and sending the thief flying across the exhibit hall and crashing through several display cases.

"Ugh…I should've seen that coming," Red X groaned as he got back to his feet in time to see Blackfire using her eyebeams to cut her way out of the giant X that bound her. "You've definitely got the same ferocity that your sister does."

"It's a Tamaranean thing," Blackfire smirked as got to her feet as well. "Who are you anyways?"

"Most people call me Red X, but you can call me whatever you want babe."

"Blackfire – nice to meet you." A pair of starbolts charged in her hands while Red X formed a X-shruiken in each hand. Despite having run through a dozen things in her mind that she wanted to say to this thief upon meeting him, it all turned into just a desire to fight him. "I like the cape and mask…I love a guy who likes to dress mysteriously." Red X couldn't help but chuckle at Blackfire's comments before he charged at her, hurling the shurikens at her. Her body arched backwards allowing the lead shuriken to graze past her, while the second was blasted out of the air by one of her starbolts, finally followed by launching her next one at Red X. Dodging starbolts, though, was something that Red X had plenty of practice with thanks to Starfire. He leapt into the air, bouncing off the walls while Blackfire continued barraging him with starbolts. Attempting to force him into a former, Blackfire fired several starbolts and her eyebeams in a wide spread, resulting in a smoke screen that cleared to reveal an empty space.

"Where'd he go?" Blackfire grumbled, as she looked about to try and find her opponent. Red X hadn't gone too far though, lingering right above her for a few moments before dropping down atop of her. A large X formed beneath his palm and was smashed right onto the unsuspecting Tamaranean, crushing to floor and pining her once again, unfortunately this time on her belly.

"Now this is a much nicer position," Red X teased her by sitting on her back and leaning forward enough so that she could see him but not hit him with her eyebeams. "Looks like I'm just too quick for you."

"I'm not out of this yet X," Blackfire grumbled as she tried to push herself free from her new bindings, but once again her arms were pinned in a precarious position that prevented her from using her strength to its full advantage. "I'll get you for this!"

"You'd be surprise how often I hear that," he chuckled, pulling out another shuriken and running the tip of one of its blades along her neck. "I am curious though – you don't strike me as being like your sister…so why are you here?"

"Maybe I'm like you, I just appreciate science and history. Plus I heard the new exhibit rocked."

"Heh, that's a good one. You're telling me that the sister of a big famous super hero is a common crook too? I find that hard to believe."

"There's nothing common about me," Blackfire sneered. She had been using the conversation to distract Red X long enough to take aim with her eyebeams again, though this time she aimed at one of the exhibits ahead of her – a large crystal formation. Her eyebeams pierced through the glass and rebounded off the crystal, sending a spray of energy in all directions right back at Red X. One of the scattered beams winged Red X while another cut through her bindings, weakening them enough for her to escape from them. Blackfire quickly turned about and crash-tackled the thief right through a nearby pane of drywall. The fight transferred from the exhibit hall into the maintenance parts of the building.

"Seriously, if you're not here to stop me, then why the heck are you still bothering me?" Red X growled, forming his X-shaped wrist blades and standing off with Blackfire. The maintenance hallway didn't provide much room for movement on either part and so both sides were cautious as to who makes the first move.

"Cause it's fun. Why else?" Blackfire reached over and pulled a pipe from its bindings on the wall, gripping it like a spear, which was a common weapon on Tamaran. She simply smirked before the two warriors rushed each other again. The cast iron pipe was strong enough to withstand Red X's blades, though it wasn't very effective as a weapon due to its heavy weight. Red X jumped over Blackfire, swinging quickly with his wrist blades that Blackfire repelled with her pipe. As Red X landed, Blackfire moved tight against the wall and swung hard, attempting to pin Red X against the wall. She succeeded, locking Red X's blades against her pipe and pressing him against the wall, though the narrow hallway resulted in her being pushed up against the opposite at the same time.

"Boy, you really are enjoying yourself – I can see in those pretty little eyes of yours," Red X remarked as he pressed hard in order to keep Blackfire from breaking through his defenses.

"I'm a Tamaranean, we're born to be warriors. I was born to win and I'm going to kick your ass."

"Unfortunately, I'm just a humble thief. I was born to steal…maybe I'll steal your heart."

"Dream on little human. I'd probably shatter your pelvis if you tried that," Blackfire chuckled softly before getting a leg up against the wall behind her and pushing hard off of it. The force put a new hole in the drywall and carried them both through a couple exhibits. "You humans are too weak for my liking."

"Strength isn't everything. Lemme show you," Red X grunted as he brought his legs in and managed to sneak his feet onto Blackfire's stomach to kick her off of him. She easily landed on her feet but Red X was already rushing her. When she swung her pipe to ward him off, he vanished right before her eyes and reappeared directly behind her. A sharp elbow strike straight into her lower back caused all her muscles to lock up temporarily, giving Red X enough time to wrap his arms around her upper body and flip her into the ground.

"Neat toys, where'd you get 'em?"

"Stole them from a little bird."

"Didn't know Robin had a dark side." Blackfire kept the conversation short, kicking off the ground with her feet that pushed her into a handstand. Her feet clamped tightly on the sides of Red X's head and a quick spin of her body twisted the thief off his feet and onto the ground next to Blackfire. Quickly rolling onto him, Red X found himself straddled by the Tamaranean warrior princess, who bore a wicked grin across her lips. "Having fun yet?"

"A blast," Red X retorted as he quickly grabbed her by the wrist and sent an electrical surge through her body, stunning the mighty warrior long enough for him to knock her off. Blackfire groaned lightly as the pain of the voltage began to wear off. Her senses returned to her just soon enough for her to see a foot coming down upon her. Reacting quickly, both hands took a firm hold of her attacker's foot and pushed off with enough force to throw Red X into a back flip. Now the fight was truly getting interesting – her mind was completely into the battle with each sense on full alert for every little movement and signal that Red X gave her. The last time she was this indulged into a fight was her battle with Kronos six months ago where she had to give it her all just to survive – here, though, this was battle was more enjoyable especially that there was no lives on the line. It was, arguably, the most fun time she has had in a fight in many years.

The two fighters squared off once again, each one eyeing each other up in order to predict the next move they could make. Blackfire was the first to come to a decision though, striking an exhibit stand next to her that knocked off the gemstone on display. As it fell to the ground, Blackfire gave it a swift kick and sent the improvised soccer ball towards Red X. Blackfire's plan didn't involve the gemstone actually hitting him, instead forcing him to teleport out of the way, which he did like clockwork. She was willing to bet he was going to teleport into a position of opportunity to counter-attack and when Red X reappeared behind her, he had literally teleported right into a roundhouse kick. He was propelled to the other side of the room, smashing into the wall hard enough to leave a sizeable dent in it.

"I know I like them feisty but this is getting out of hand," Red X groaned as he rubbed his aching head. His remarks would only come answered by more attacks from the unrelenting Blackfire, who narrowly missed the spry thief and drove her fist through the wall next to his head. Her next punch was parried by a risen elbow, which deflected the attack to leave yet another hole in the wall. Things were getting desperate for Red X, who was beginning to find himself overwhelmed by Blackfire's attacks – it was Starfire's ferocity mixed with expert martial arts almost on par with Robin's skills…except she didn't seem to take the fight nearly as seriously as Robin did. If it weren't for the fact that she was interrupting a perfectly good heist, he might've really enjoyed this fight.

Blackfire shouted her exertion as a rising kick carved a large hole through the wall due to a last-second side step from Red X. There was finally an opportunity for Red X to exploit; he took her by the shoulders and pushed hard to swing her over and reverse their position with her pinned against the wall and her leg still stuck in the drywall. "While I can sympathize with adventure-seeking, I still don't believe that you followed me all the way here just to fight me. You wouldn't waste your time on that unless you knew for certain who I was, which you didn't. Why'd you come here? Why'd you follow me in?"

"Why do you want to know?" Blackfire growled, not making a move to break free from her position just yet.

"Let's just say I find you a lot more interesting than your sister," Red X explained as his eyes fixed with hers. "Don't suppose we could stop this little spar match and maybe get to know each a little better?"

"On my planet, you get to know people by doing this," Blackfire smirked as a hand clasped onto his shoulder and pushed herself a few inches off the ground, giving her enough distance to put one foot against the wall for support and tearing her leg out of the drywall in another forceful kick, launching Red X across the room once more. More than half of the display cases had been smashed and their contents strewn across the floor due to the fighting, though thankfully most of the exhibits had not been damaged from the chaos.

"This planet of yours sounds like a lot of fun," Red X groaned, his tone laced with sarcasm, before he sprang to back to his feet. Blackfire was pressing on with her attack as always, taking several swings at Red X with abysmal results. His impressive agility shone once more as he twisted and bent around each swing, parrying a couple of the close ones with his forearms. A slightly longer-than-usual wind-up left a long enough opening for Red X to teleport out of her path and reappearing in a low, sweeping kick. Blackfire managed a short grunt of pain upon hitting the ground. As Red X tried again to strike the Tamaranean on the ground, Blackfire managed to get a blast of energy off in time to stop him. The impact launched him upwards, through the ceiling, and eventually landing on the museum rooftop.

Blackfire followed shortly after Red X, landing on the lightly snow-covered rooftop. Small clouds of steam rose out of the air vents, obscuring her vision of her surroundings. Somewhere out there, Red X was waiting for her…waiting to make his move.

"You still never answered my question," Red X taunted from the shadows. "You didn't come here just to fight, especially since you had no idea who was here."

"I was bored, okay? You happy now? I was bored out of my skull and I figured this would be more interesting than sitting on my butt!"

"Oh, I think there's more to it than that. You sought something here…maybe you were hoping to find somebody like me."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Cause you talk too loudly to yourself. Admit it, you like my handy work." A cloud of steam parted way, revealing Red X standing casually only a few feet from Blackfire. Neither made even the slightest move of hostility. "You can tell me – one thief to another."

"Alright so I admit it – seeing your handy work kind of reminded me of when I used that sort of stuff. Sure I was more of a smash n' grab kind of girl but you work with the tools you've been given," Blackfire smiled lightly as Red X took a step closer. "You know…our little scuffle probably tripped the silent alarms. You only disabled the biometric-based alarms, there's probably a structural sensor alarm too."

"The building's about a hundred years old, they didn't have that kind of technology back then," Red X answered confidently; he always did his homework when he went to work. "Though somebody probably heard the explosions thanks to all those fancy little fireworks of yours."

"Guess we should call it a night then, huh? A shame - I was just beginning to really have fun. Don't suppose we could, you know, do this again some time?"

"I wouldn't mind. We should find a place with a little more space and…privacy. How about the old stadium next Tuesday?"

"It's a date," she smirked playfully before taking a few steps back towards the ledge of the building.

"Don't be late then," Red X gave a quick two-fingered salute good-bye before jumping off the nearby ledge and disappeared from sight, leaving the young Tamaranean alone on the rooftop.

She sighed contently as she loosely folded her arms across her chest. "Now that's a guy a girl could really fall for…"


	12. Chapter 11: Of Men and Machines

**Chapter Eleven: Of Men and Machines**

**"So as it turns out, both the recovered hard drive from the prison and the intruder implanted a seemingly harmless program onto our mainframes. **Both programs masked themselves as indigenous programs and neither on their own had any dangerous properties so all the scans missed them. However, when the two programs were put onto the same mainframe, which happened when I hooked up the recovered hard drive, they merged together to form a gateway program that gave Slade access to our computer. Everything's been restored finally and I'm working on putting up new defenses programs to stop that from ever happening again." Cyborg's lengthy explanation as to the cause of their catastrophic computer shutdown the day before was the bulk of the conversation with his fellow Titans around the breakfast table. With the exception of Beast Boy, the Titans understood the story and while there was a general feeling of frustration for walking right into Slade's trap, Raven reassured everybody that there was no way of knowing this would've happened.

"At least everything's working now. The next time those Legion guys show up, we're going to put a stop to them," Robin added, bitterly shoveling a mouthful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. As expected, Robin was taking their loss the hardest and he was determined to get even.

"We should stick together next time – Slade was counting on us splitting up and took advantage of it," Raven suggested. "Though to be honest, I don't know how we'd handle things if those three generals struck all at once."

"She's right, that Bellerophon dude kicked our butts without even trying," Beast Boy regrettably admitted. "He took Raven out in a hurry and when he got airborne there was almost nothing I could do against him."

"And the Achilles appeared to truly be invincible."

"Achilles said his armor was made out of Thetium, right?" Cyborg asked, recalling Starfire mentioning it before but he wanted to make sure he had researched the right alloy. "From what I've found, Thetium's a recently developed armour plating with incredible resistance to laser, thermal, and kinetic energy. To say that it's almost indestructible is fairly accurate, though it begins to lose its structural integrity at extreme temperatures."

"I think we're fresh out of that," Raven quipped. "So why don't we have any of this miracle armour?"

"Still in experimental phases. It's hard to refine, expensive to make, and weighs almost eight times as much as conventional armour," Cyborg explained. "Achilles probably has very little strength after having to haul around that much armour and I can guarantee that he's not completely covered – he's got to have at least one sport without a plate over it." Defeating Achilles meant finding that Achilles heel…though it was doubtful that it would actually be anywhere near the ankles.

"Enough about this depressing Legion," Beast Boy spoke up, trying to move the conversation to something less discouraging than talking about a mechanical army that had recently made a mockery of their team. "What's the good word on our Sleeping Beauty?"

"Oh…uh, her?" Cyborg didn't find the new line of conversation much more enjoyable than the last one. Cyborg had to leave her hooked up to his computer over night while he recharged and she was still in his room having not moved or made signs of life since she had come crashing through the living room window yesterday. "I'm still running scans but there seem to be counter-measures against those things so progress is slow."

"You're spending a lot of time around somebody who you don't even know is alive anymore," Raven added, sounding a bit concerned over her friend's interest in their guest.

"Oh come on, she's just the way Cyborg would like them – tall, blonde, and full of titanium," Beast Boy cracked, actually eliciting a couple of stifled chuckles from Starfire but a mildly annoyed look from Cyborg, though it Raven could tell that he was actually just masking his embarrassment.

"Are you sure it's safe to be keeping her in your room?" Robin asked, keeping things serious and professional with his team, much to Cyborg's relief.

"From what the scans have shown, she's in an internal repair cycle. She suffered a great deal of damage to her internal systems and until I actually go in and repair them, she won't be going anywhere," Cyborg reassured them all, though it wasn't exactly enough to fully convince Robin.

"Who could have constructed such a machine?" Starfire asked the question that had been dogging Cyborg since the night before.

"There are a lot of robotics geniuses out there in the world. It's still too early to make any guesses…"

"You think it might be possible that she may have come from the Legion?" Robin, remaining realistic as always, suggested. He didn't want to sound so negative to Cyborg but he had the safety of his team to keep in mind and with how easily Slade had played them in the past, he was being extra suspicious of everything. "I mean, we've already run into about half a dozen different kind of highly advanced machines just in the past two days."

"I know you weren't here when it happened, but if you were you would've seen the damage she did to that Legion soldier," Cyborg insisted, not wanting to admit the possibility but reluctantly holding onto that thought at the back of his mind. "She almost smashed its head in with her bare hands. The rage on her face was…almost human."

"Besides, like Cyborg said – she's going to be in lullaby land until he goes in to fix her. Unless robots can repair themselves in their sleep," Beast Boy joined Cyborg in trying to put Robin's worries at ease.

An explosion suddenly shook the breakfast table, triggering the alarms to start blaring throughout the entire building. "You're not allowed to talk anymore," Raven remarked as the Titans rose from the table. A quick check of the Tower's scanners confirmed Cyborg's fears that it had indeed come from his room.

"Guess she wasn't as unconscious as you though. Come on!" Robin shouted as the Titans hurried as fast as they could to the scene of the disturbance. What they found was a blasted out bedroom door and an empty repair bed.

"Do you suppose we have had another intruder?" Starfire asked as she looked at the empty repair bed. All the restraints had been ripped out of the repair bed but aside from that there was little damage to the room.

"No, Sleeping Beauty is definitely awake; the door has been blasted out from the inside with some sort of energy weapon," Cyborg said as he reluctantly accepted his over-confident mistake. He should've done more to make sure their guest didn't break out like this but he was so certain that she was too internally damage to start up again. "I don't understand how she could be operating again – there was too much damage to her central processors."

"We should worry about how after we find her. She is likely to be very scared and on edge right now," Starfire tried to keep Cyborg's spirits up, recalling her own experiences with arriving in strange locations. Beast Boy was just outside, taking a closer look at the charred marks surrounding several large, melted indents in the door. It appeared that she had fired several times to get the door open, though with what was a question. He changed into a bloodhound and began sniffing at the door and the ground, trying to find the scent of their guest.

"Did she have any weapons on her?" Robin asked as the other Titans searched Cyborg's room.

"I don't know," Cyborg admitted. He knew now he made a huge mistake leaving security so light despite not knowing anything about the girl…he just hoped it didn't hurt his friends. That hope turned to be fruitless though when they heard a loud, dog-like yelp coming from the doorway. A semi-conscious Beast Boy lay on the ground, groaning quietly in pain.

"Beast Boy!" Robin shouted as he raced to his fallen comrade. Before he could even reach the doorway though, a body came swinging down from the top of the doorway, a pair of feet slamming straight into his chest and knocking him back into his friends. Their mystery girl dropped from her hiding spot overhead. Her cold, emotionless eyes glared at the heroes before she raised her handless left arm at them. The whole forearm began to open up with the surface sliding inwards to reveal a trio of collapsed barrels. Once the exterior had moved out of the way, the trio of barrels began to expand outwards as the overlapping plates making up the barrels slide into position to form the weapon they had been wondering about.

"Wait, we don't want to hurt you!" Robin tried to explain but she didn't seem to listen as one of the barrels fired a narrow beam of periwinkle blue towards the Titans. Three of the four Titans managed to get out of the path of the oncoming beam but Raven, at the back of the pack, wasn't so fortunate. However, the beam wasn't destructive at all, but instead caused thick ice crystals to form over her body. Thankfully, it wasn't a long burst and Raven found herself only partially covered in ice before toppling to the ground. "Guess that's a no…" Robin growled as he sprinted after the fleeing girl, followed shortly by Cyborg and Starfire.

The girl proved to be exceptionally fast, though, as they soon lost sight of her and found themselves at a loss when they reached a fork in the hallway with a closed door between the two paths. "Split up," Robin instructed, sending Cyborg and Starfire down each of the paths before he headed through the door. It led Robin into a storage facility…quiet, secluded, and ill lit but with no exits. It was a good place for an ambush but not for escaping. A quick search found little, though there were many hiding places if somebody wanted to lay low. Hiding wasn't sufficient for her though and when Robin wasn't looking in her direction, an unusual bubble-like blast of energy slammed into Robin's back, sending him flying into a pile of crates. Jumping down from her hiding place atop of a stack of crates, she doubled-back to the entrance but when she opened the door, Starfire was standing on the other side of it, having been alerted by the sound of gunfire.

The full brunt of a beam of green energy caught the girl in the chest, sending her to the other side of the storage room, leaving behind slightly charred wound in her lower chest. "I am sorry about that," Starfire spoke out as she flew to the center of the room, a starbolt ready in her hand in case the girl tried to fight again. "I do not wish to harm you but if you continue fighting I do not have any choice." She could understand any confusion or fear the girl might be feeling, though her words seemed to still fall on deaf ears as those lifeless eyes gazed back at Starfire. The moment Starfire saw the girl trying to raise her gun-arm she blasted the girl with a pair of starbolts. With one striking her square in the chest and the other in the upper left shoulder, she slammed hard against the wall and slumped to the ground, now motionless.

"Robin, are you okay?" Starfire quickly flew over to his side, promptly pushing aside several of the crates that had fallen onto him.

"I'll be fine," Robin groaned as Starfire helped him up to his feet. "She just took me by surprise, that's all."

Moments later, Cyborg and the others regrouped with Robin in the storage room. Raven was providing support for Beast Boy, who was still only partially conscious, while Cyborg immediately ran over to check on the now even more damaged girl. "Damage doesn't look too serious," Cyborg muttered, lightly feeling the edges of the blast marks on her body armour.

"You better not be thinking of trying to repair that thing," Robin sternly remarked after catching Cyborg's near-inaudible utterances.

"And what would you have me do? We can't just toss her out of the Tower for the Legion to get her. We don't know anything about her! For all we know she might know something about Slade's plans," Cyborg quickly sided with the unknown girl.

"Did you just miss everything that happened? She tried to kill us!"

"Actually no she didn't," Raven interrupted Robin, surprisingly siding with Cyborg. "Beast Boy was tasered and I was partially frozen. If she wanted us dead, she probably could've smashed Beast Boy's skull in like that hoplite Cyborg mentioned." Raven coming to Cyborg's defense wasn't because she though the girl wasn't dangerous, quite the opposite in fact, but she understood how much that girl meant to Cyborg and the potential she carried in her technology.

"Just give her another chance Robin," Cyborg pleaded. "I'm sure there's a rational explanation for this. I'll do a better job this time."

Robin remained silent for a moment, realizing that it was unlikely he'd be able to talk Cyborg out of this, not with Raven's supporting him. Cyborg was stubborn just like Robin and once Cyborg had his sights set on something, he stuck with it. "Fine but you put her in a more secure location and I don't want you anywhere near her unless somebody else is there."

"Deal," Cyborg agreed as he picked up the fallen girl. "Starfire could you give me a hand? I'll need to move some equipment into one of the store rooms." Starfire quietly looked to Robin for a moment as if looking for approval, which he gave in the form of a subtly nod. The Titans all filed out of the storage room with Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy returning to the living room while Cyborg and Starfire headed to a vacant storeroom to turn into a makeshift repair bay.

* * *

"On the bright side, all the damage you inflicted degraded the counter-measures that were impeding my scans," Cyborg commented as he worked on the temporary computer moved into the storeroom. It was deeper inside the tower and he had reinforced the door to make sure they didn't have a repeat. Starfire sat on a stack of crates moved to the side, watching Cyborg working diligently. She had to admit that it was sort of boring and felt wrong to be keeping an eye on her friend like this. The screen displayed a vague schematic of the girl's circuitry, though the details were lacking because of more sensor interference from her counter-measures. "I think I've got an answer to how she woke up."

"And what is it Cyborg?"

"Wow…she's got an autonomous nano-machine system circulating through her body."

"Um…that is good, correct? And…what does that mean?"

"She's got a circulating fluid through her body that contains billions of microscopic, self-replicating machines that use raw material also circulating in the fluid to repair and rebuild internal systems at a molecular level. Each one is programmed with her entire schematic and are able to build either new nano-machines or circuit systems. They can even form new circuitry outside of the original blueprints to produce new cognitive pathways, meaning she can literally rewire her mind. When we left her alone all night, she repaired several of her internal systems and was able to reboot."

Most of what he said was a bit more technical than Starfire could understand but she got the basic idea of what he said – little machines that can repair her body. "So she will eventually repair herself again?"

"I think I can put her nano-machines into a period of suspension but I don't see why I should. I'd be guessing if I were trying to repair her internal systems – these little things would do it perfectly on their own." His tone carried a bit of envy that Starfire could vaguely understand. Cyborg was half-machine, after all, so such technology applied to him like a newly discovered vaccine would be important to a regular person. Starfire hopped off the crates and strolled over to the girl's side, watching the computer monitors closely. Fresh information began appearing on the screen as text boxes appeared on the screen with arrows pointing to various locations "Holy cow, this girl's got almost as much of an arsenal as me. Energy blade emitter in her right hand, liquid metal openings on her left arm, plasma flamethrower, ice cannon, sonic disruptor, tasers and stun guns in thigh pods, miniature missile launchers, low-power laser cannons, anti-gravity emitters, short-burst jet boosters…wow, that's a lot of firepower for such a little package."

"Then I hope she does not attack us the next time she awakes," Starfire said softly, a bit concerned at the level of power this girl apparently possessed.

"Trust me, she won't," Cyborg reassured her even though he was basing this statement entirely on a hope that something beforehand was interfering with the girl's internal systems. "There appears to be some damage to her power core. It might be impairing energy flow to her central processors." One of his many tools extended out of his index as he stepped up to the mystery girl's side. "If my scans were correct…there should be a manual release for the energy core somewhere around here." His other hand lightly prodded the girl's lower back and side, finally feeling a small button beneath the artificial skin and a soft spot in her armour. After pressing it, there was a hiss of decompressing air before three panels covering her lower abdomen began to open – two large panels opening laterally and a small, thinner panel lifting upwards to the chest. The opening revealed a small cylindrical canister housed within a transparent case with several wires and pipes connected to it. The two pieces of the case opened laterally and the canister pivoted upright and rose slightly so that the entire canister was exposed outside of her body. The canister housed a small red column that ran down the center, visible by a small transparent panel on the side of the canister. Cyborg just took one long look at it and the expression on his face began to worry Starfire. "Oh good god…"

"What is Cyborg?" Starfire asked with great concern as she leaned over to look closely at the power core.

"It's a xenothium fueled chain reactor," Cyborg answered in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"Is that a problem?"

"You remember how concerned Robin was about Red X's power core exploding? Well, this is about ten times worse. It uses a more precise, contained, multi-step reaction to unleash more of the power in a more controlled fashion, allowing for a highly efficient output. There's damage to the outflow mechanisms and…I really am not completely sure how this device works," Cyborg admitted reluctantly and nervously. "If I accidentally destabilize one of the containment fields that control the flow of xenotheium…well, there wouldn't be much of a tower left."

"I do not believe this is a wise course of action," Starfire warned, slowly edging away from the girl. "Robin would not approve of this. You should not be attempting something so dangerous."

"I can do this!" Cyborg suddenly insisted sternly, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. "It's just a really advance version of what was in Red X's belt and Robin showed me the schematics of them when we first dealt with Red X."

"I am telling Robin about this," Starfire insisted but when she tried to leave, Cyborg halted her by grabbing her by the wrist. She turned to face her friend, at first a little annoyed by his actions, but her anger softened when she saw the expression on his face; this was more than just a matter of solving a problem, this meant a great deal to Cyborg…the technology she housed was like a Holy Grail to somebody of his condition. He had to unlock its secrets.

"Please Starfire."

"Very well," Starfire finally answered after a moment of thought. Starfire did not like having to keep secrets from her friends but this would not be the first time. Plus, she trusted Cyborg's judgment. "But if something goes wrong, I am getting her as far away from the tower as possible."

"Thanks," Cyborg said softly as he turned back to his new work. Carefully, he set to work as the tip of his tool sparked blue with each minute adjustment to the power core's circuitry. It was incredibly diligent work with each adjustment being carefully calculated in his head. Cyborg always enjoyed working with new technology but he wished an opportunity like this could've been under better circumstances. The slightest error could cause a cascading chain reaction that would level the tower. Slowly, Cyborg began to adjust each circuit in attempts to restore the energy flow to the rest of her body. In theory, the lack of energy flow to her central processors could've caused a cessation of her upper cognitive functions. Starfire watched anxiously as every flicker of light from the power core caused her to tense up in fear. Every minute seemed to stretch forever.

"I think I've finally got it," Cyborg finally sighed in relief. Pressing the same button, the process reversed and the power core was sealed back beneath the protective armour layers. "Nothing's exploded so that's a good sign. Hopefully, the systems will be able to take things from there." Both Cyborg and Starfire let out an astonished gasp when the girl inhaled softly, her body seemingly coming to life with all the subtle movements you'd expect from a sleeping girl. Cyborg carefully stepped closer, looking down at the girl's face as the damaged eye began to glow red again. The good eye fluttered open slowly and the two cybernetic beings gazed into each other's eyes.

"Um…hi there," Cyborg said a little awkwardly, hoping that he wouldn't be met with more hostilities.

"Good afternoon," she very politely replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"Armour integrity at 62.6; operational capacity at 54.9; neural network at 77.2 functional capacity; data banks at 8.9. I am…severely damaged." The girl appeared to be far tamer this time around and appeared to be unaware of the previous events. Her tone was soft and delicate, quite unlike what Cyborg expected in a machine so obviously designed for combat. "Who are you?"

"My name's Cyborg and this is Starfire. We don't mean you any harm."

"I do not remember sustaining this level of damage…do you know who is responsible Mr. Cyborg?"

"Um…well, you awoke a short while ago and started attacking our friends. We tried to reason with you but you didn't listen, so…Starfire was forced to incapacitate you. We're sorry but you were a danger to us."

"Oh dear. Wait, I think I remember. I was…running on baseline program: survival and escape in order to finish repairs. I am sorry for any harm I have caused."

"I told you there was a reasonable explanation," Cyborg muttered in an aside to Starfire. "So what's your name?"

"I…cannot remember…"


	13. Chapter 12: Cause she's an Angel

**Chapter Twelve: Cause she's an Angel**

**"So she can't remember anything?"** Robin asked to verify after Cyborg had given his final report on their new guest. The two Titans sat in the main room while their guest sat across from Raven, playing a game of chess with the third Titan. Cyborg had spent most of the previous day repairing as much as he could of the girl, with her guidance and advice, and externally most of her systems had finally be repaired – her liquid metal left hand was functioning again and the superficial damage to her head was slowly mending itself beneath the white cotton bandage she wrapped over it.

"Anything useful at least. She can't remember her name, how she got here, where she came from, or what she was doing fighting the Legion. Heck, she can barely remember what she is," Cyborg reaffirmed, periodically glancing over to Raven and their guest. "I've repaired everything that I could but a lot of her memory banks were either fried or corrupted. The damaged memory banks will eventually be repaired by her nanomachines but whether the data that used to be there can be recovered is anybody's guess. Basically, she's got the robot equivalent to retrograde amnesia."

"So all we have is an android that Slade wanted for some reason. I suppose she's the only lead we've got at the moment," Robin sighed reluctantly. At least Cyborg's intuition about the girl was correct – she wasn't violent by nature. However, few questions had been answered and now even more questions had been raised. What was Slade up to? How did it involve this girl? Where did the Legion come from? Where were they going to hit next? Lastly, how were they going to stop them? Criminal activity in the city had been quiet for the past couple of days with the Legion not making an appearance since the two robberies and their guest's arrival. "You know more about robotics Cyborg, what should we do now?"

"Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. In theory, I could try going into her memory banks and repairing them by hand, which would speed up the process by a great deal."

"So why don't you?"

"Apparently, she doesn't like guys seeing her circuitry – she says it makes her feel vulnerable."

"Who builds an android and gives them a sense of modesty?"

"Somebody who wants the android to remain inconspicuous."

"She's got titanium, feathered wings – how does that remain discrete?"

"They can fold up into her upper body. It's pretty cool actually."

Once again, they both looked over to the two girls playing chess. While they could more than likely hear their conversation, neither Raven nor the guest made any indications that they heard Robin's remarks. Both girls appeared to be quite engrossed in their game. Despite it being her first game, their guest was holding her own against the masterful Raven. Though reluctant at first, Raven was beginning to enjoy the other girl's company, though thus far only in a game of chess. It was probably the best competition she had faced in a long time.

"You should try taking her into the city," Robin suggested. "It might her remember if she sees something familiar." Anything that could speed up this already slow process was worth trying.

"I guess that might help, though I'd probably have to comb through the entire city before we found anything useful," Cyborg agreed before getting up from the sofa. He headed over to the chess table, remaining silent for a moment as Raven contemplated her next move. Only once Raven finished did Cyborg break the silence between the two of them. "Hey listen, would you be interested in heading into the city? It might help you remember something."

She looked away from the chessboard to Cyborg, not even taking a moment to think over Cyborg's request. "If…you think that's a good idea," she answered, sounding as uncertain but without any other options available to her. "Should we leave now?"

"Um…well, you could finish your game first."

"Oh right," the girl turned back to her game and quickly moved her queen forward. "Checkmate in four moves," she spoke casually and rose from her seat, leaving Raven staring in disbelief at the board. The two massive wings that extended from her back began to fold in on itself, the plates sliding over one another until they disappeared into two long slit along her upper back, leaving the girl appearing completely human. "That was a fun game miss Raven, I hope we can play again." Raven didn't answer though, still trying to make sense of how her defeat was predicted from the girl's latest move.

"Well I'll be damned…" Raven muttered under her breath.

* * *

The final sources of light disappeared in the darkened room as the doors slid shut, cutting off the outside light sources. The darkness hung in the air briefly before a series of lights, arranged in a large circle, activated one-by-one until the room was partly illuminated in the center, around a table-like station in the center. Out of the darkness, the three generals of the Legion stepped out and took their place around the central table; Achilles and Heracles folded their arms across their chest impatiently while Bellerophon tucked both hands behind his back before addressing his fellow generals.

"This meeting of the grand generals is now in session," Bellerophon started, keeping things very professional and formal amongst the three proud officers. "The next phase of our commanders' master plan is about to commence once our target begins to move."

"My agents are already in position at all exits of the city. When the move is made, we shall be prepared for it," Achilles continued.

"So the Titans have gotten their hands upon Atalanta?"

"Correct Heracles. Everything would be moving according to plan if your hoplite hadn't put a dozen rounds into her," Bellerophon answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"My hoplites used reasonable force. I do not appreciate having my soldiers being used as pawns to be sacrificed!" Heracles snapped back.

"Calm yourself Heracles. Your hoplites shall not be put into major action until after the next phase of the plan," Achilles reminded him. "Besides, you should know very well that your unit would suffer the heaviest casualties; my shades and Bellerophon's centaurs are too valuable to be thrown away. When this is over, you shall command the largest force imaginable under the Legion's banner - so quit complaining." Achilles words succeeded in silencing the much larger general for the time being.

"Have our 'friends' started their end of the agreement?" Heracles finally spoke, his voice now calm again.

"Not yet but I have been assured they will be there when we need them to act," Bellerophon confirmed. "If not then…well, I'm sure you two know what would have to be done."

"Speaking of which, the HIVE Five have managed to already land themselves back in prison. They apparently tried to get payback on a former team member and it backfired on them. I've already sent a team of shades to break them out again…" Achilles' news just made the other two generals shake their head slowly in dismay.

"Incompetent organics," Bellerophon scoffed. "Be sure they're back on the streets by tomorrow and if they land themselves back in jail before the proper phase of the plan commences, kill them."

"I'll personally wrench each and every one of their necks," Achilles said as he held up a clenched fist in front of him.

Before their meeting could continue further, the central unit began to flash red, drawing the attention of each of the generals. Bellerophon tapped a single key on the central console and a holographic image of Brother Blood appeared before them. "Greeting generals, I hope I am not interrupting anything."

"Of course not commander," Bellerophon politely answered, bowing his head slightly.

"Excellent. Well, I'm happy to report that the supplies have reached our main base. Construction will begin shortly and you can expect reinforcements within the next two weeks," Blood reported with a pleased grin. "However, there's going to be a slight change of plans. As you know there have been some outside interference in our operations." Three smaller holographic images appeared below Blood: images of Kid Flash, Blackfire, and Jinx. "I want Heracles and Achilles to neutralize these three before they become a serious threat. I leave the how up to them. Bellerophon, you're orders are unchanged. I suggest you get your troops ready for departure." The three generals bowed again before the holographic images disappeared.

"Finally, a chance to let loose," Achilles said, clearly excited about his new orders.

"Try not to level too much of the city," Bellerophon reminded sarcastically. "Right, we have our orders so let's get to work." The other two nodded in agreement before each went their own way out of the meeting room. "I'm borrowing a few hoplites Heracles."

"Fine but you better bring them back in one piece."

"No promises."

* * *

"Anything yet?" Cyborg asked as the T-car came to a halt at a downtown intersection. The young girl sat in the passenger seat, staring aimlessly out the window with a somewhat discouraged expression on her face. They had passed several blocks already with zero success, which was to be expected really considering the size of the city.

"I'm afraid not," she sighed lightly in response, turning her attention back to Cyborg. "I am sorry to be the cause of so much wasted time. This is…hopeless." She felt a mixture of mild depression and frustration; it was hard for her to try and focus on her future, if she even had one, when she didn't know what her past was.

"Now don't talk like that. We'll find some answers," Cyborg tried to keep her spirits up. Taking a look out the window, Cyborg figured they could take a short break in order to cheer his new friend up. "Your power core's got a biomatter furnace, right?"

"That's right. I can use it to incinerate any foods I eat for extra energy and raw materials."

"Then we're going for pizza," he said with a grin. He pulled the car into the parking lot of the Titans' favourite pizza place. It was almost lunchtime anyways and he was particularly hungry and his guest appeared to like the idea too. He led her out to one of the tables on the outdoor balcony, overlooking the city intersection, though this time taking a table for two instead of one of the larger ones Cyborg typically visited with his friends. "After lunch, we'll try the city again."

"What…if this doesn't work?" she asked reluctantly and nervously, almost afraid of what the answer would be. "What if I never remember who I am? What's going to happen to me?"

"You shouldn't think so pessimistically. It's just a matter of finding a trail that we can follow. Right now we're just shooting in the dark and hoping to find something. If this doesn't work I can…take a look at your blueprints. It might give a clue as to who designed you."

Surprisingly, the girl's cheeks flustered at Cyborg's suggestion. "My…blueprints?" she repeated rhetorically. Cyborg could understand her…reluctance. He felt the same about his own blueprints. Looking at his blueprints was like looking at somebody's nude photos. However, with no real leads to go on, Cyborg didn't have much choice but to try going through with this plan. Hopefully, she could overcome her modesty just for a little while, though that would require a great deal of trust. "Would that really work?"

"It falls under the long shot category as well. A lot of people who do robotics always incorporate some sort of signature into the design. If I find a signature, I might be able to find your creator."

"Well…if you think it'd work, I guess we could give it a shot," she answered softly after a long pause. While it felt uncomfortable, the momentary discomfort was overshadowed by the chronic discomfort of having no past. Before the conversation could continue, the waitress came along to take their order.

* * *

"So then, when I said that I had to keep an eye on my battery levels, Terubia decided it'd be a good idea to try zapping me with her magic." Cyborg's short anecdote promptly threw the young girl into a fit of laughter. Only a few slices of their pizza remained on the table, though their focus had shifted back to their conversation with Cyborg doing most of the talking as he shared tales of the Titans' exploits. He had gone through most of the more interesting exploits, particularly the ones that he played a more central role in, ending with his stories about the realm of Daluram he and his fellow Titans traveled to almost half a year ago. "Surprisingly enough, it actually worked."

"This Terubia girl didn't know too much about technology did she?" she replied once her laughter had died down.

"It was a magic-based realm. The notion of technology was pretty much lost on them," Cyborg explained, grabbing one of the last slices of the pizza. Over the course of their conversation, Cyborg couldn't help but be amazed at how accurately the girl emulated the wide range of human behaviors. It was a shame that she was merely a machine…she wasn't real.

"If you don't mind me asking Cyborg, how…what happened to your body?" She had apprehensions about asking such a delicate question but it had been something nagged at the back of her mind since she first laid eyes upon him. Probably the most human thing about her was her curiosity. As expected, the question silenced the high spirits at the table, leaving Cyborg to stare solemnly at his half-eaten pizza slice for a moment.

"I…was in an accident years ago," Cyborg finally spoke after a long pause. "My parents were scientists and I worked with them a lot. Something went wrong with one of my father's experiments and there was a large explosion. My father was only slightly injured and…my mother didn't make it. I was left so badly injured that my father rebuilt me into…well, what you see now." It was always difficult for Cyborg to talk about such things but this young girl seemed to have a relaxing impact on him. She might not remember but perhaps she had a bit of understanding of the things he had to go through in life – she knew what it was like to have metal muscles, chips in your head, and a magnet was more dangerous than a gun.

"Were you…upset when you found out what happened?"

"Like you couldn't imagine," Cyborg sighed lightly. "I was so angry at him. I felt betrayed. At first I was mad just at what my father had turned me into and then I started getting depressed over what I had lost. That was a long time ago though…I've kind of gotten used to this body but there are still days when I miss the old times."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Of course, if you did not become who you are now, the Titans might never have become the fighting force they are today," she reminded him. "Heck, the world might not be the place it is today if it weren't for you."

"My friends have told me that a number of times. I've accepted what I've become…it's got its perks. I mean, how many people have rockets in their boots?" Sheepishly, the girl raised her hair briefly, causing both of them to burst out in laughter again. "I guess it was fate for me to become like this."

"A man of science like you believes in fate?"

"A little. After everything I've seen, nothing's too far-fetched."

"I guess it is hard for me to contemplate a mystical force controlling my life when I am neither alive nor natural. My world exists purely within defined physical laws and principles. In a strange way, I am fortunate. People spend their whole lives trying to find meaning and purpose to their existence…they seek to understand the reason behind their creation but I know I have a creator who is flesh and blood, who designed my being with rational ideas and thoughts. I can easily find my purpose...all I need to do is find my creator."

"You know, it doesn't matter why you were created…you have the free will to decide what you'll do with your life," Cyborg commented as this conversation took a more philosophical turn, though it was the fourth time since they started lunch. It was amazing how well she was grasping abstract concepts – something that often plagued most developers of AI technology.

"But will I be able to fight my pre-made destiny? Do I actually have free will? If somebody knew exactly how I would react, all one would need to do was give me the first push in the right direction and every following reaction would simply be like dominos toppling over," she smirked in response, always one for theoretical discussions since they flexed her intellectual 'muscles' more so than talking about science and technology. "You already said you believe a bit in fate, so you have already admitted a bit that your life is outside of your control. Who knows…maybe fate brought me to you," she added a slight giggle at the end, eliciting a bashful grin from Cyborg.

_"Is she…flirting with me?"_ Cyborg wondered silently. _"Can androids flirt? Wait. I can flirt? Cyborg, get a grip here. You shouldn't be getting so emotionally attached to a machine…even if she is a drop-dead gorgeous one. God, why did her creator have to give her blonde hair and a four-hundred and fifty gigahertz processor?"_

"Is…there something on your mind Cyborg? You're face is red," she asked with a stifled laugh.

"What? Oh, no. No, no, no!" Cyborg quickly insisted, which simply made her laugh more. "It's nothing important."

"Liar."

"Well, um…it's just that…" Cyborg trailed off momentarily but was unable to finish his sentence. Their conversation was rudely interrupted when a beam of energy from the sky reduced their lunch and table to a smoldering crater and launching both Titans to opposite ends of the balcony. "What the heck?" Cyborg groaned as he peeled a charred piece of pizza off his face.

"You!" The young girl gasped, recognizing the towering Legion general, Bellerophon, setting down on the balcony atop of the twisted metal of the patio furniture. His energy cannon proudly held by his side as he exchanged glances with the two teens. "I remember you…Bellerophon."

"It's good to see that you weren't too damaged," Bellerophon scoffed mockingly. "You have done a marvelous job repairing her Cyborg. You truly are gifted in robotics."

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your ugly metal mug here," Cyborg growled as he rose to his feet and trained his sonic cannon on the general. "There's a lot of can of payback with your name on it."

"I'm afraid that won't be happening," Bellerophon answered calmly as he stepped to the side, revealing a pair of hoplites on the balcony with their weapons trained on the young girl. Another pair of hoplites soon landed on the balcony behind Cyborg, training their rifles on him. "Atalanta shall be coming with me and unless you want to be reduced to scrap you will refrain from making a move."

"My name is…Atalanta?"

"Wow, they really did do a number on you," Bellerophon remarked, a bit surprised by the extent of her memory loss. Bellerophon made a motion to the hoplites behind Cyborg, signaling one of them to approach Cyborg from behind and strike him hard in the back of the leg. He collapsed like a tower of blocks, becoming pinned to the ground by a hoplite's foot. When he tried to struggle against the hoplite, a barrel pressed firmly against the side of his head halted him.

"Leave him alone!" Atalanta shouted as she tried to intervene but was stopped by the hoplites behind her, each of them grabbing her by the arm and lifting her off the ground.

"Why do people keep making demands from me when I'm the one with the guns?" Bellerophon sarcastically remarked as he holstered his energy cannon folded into its resting position on his back. "I am bringing you back to the Legion and the less you mess around, the less I'll bust up your new friend."

"Let…me…go!" Atalanta struggled vainly against the two hoplites, though with little success since she had nothing to push off of. Bellerophon cruelly chuckled at her fruitless attempts. Her eyes began to glow red, which went unnoticed by everyone except Cyborg. Panels slid open on her back allowing her white metal wings to burst out of her body and powerful rocket boosters fired from the bottom of her feet, propelling the android angel out of the hoplites' grips. Everyone was taken by surprise as Atalanta rocketed past Bellerophon, knocking past him and crash tackling the two other hoplites.

"Impudent little girl!" Bellerophon cursed loudly as he took a few steps back from the enraged Atalanta.

"Don't 'little girl' me," she snarled in response, clenching both fists tightly.

"Fine. Hoplites…take care of them." The four soldiers regrouped near Bellerophon, taking aim with their rifles and preparing to fire. Cyborg was quickly back on his feet, backing up Atalanta in this tense stand-off with the Legion. Neither side made a move…knowing full well that if the first strike didn't take the other down, it would be an almost utter defeat for them. The tensions continued to rise as Atalanta triple-barreled cannon came into view.

Now…who would fire first?


	14. Chapter 13: War of the Machines

**Chapter Thirteen: War of the Machines**

**"Your head is mine Bellerophon!"** Atalanta's seeming peaceful nature appeared to be all by a memory now, replaced only by a bloodlust-like rage as the fragmented memories of a violent and abusive Bellerophon ran through her mind. She couldn't recall exactly what Bellerophon did to her, all she could recall was the blinding rage she felt whenever she saw him and her desire to tear him apart. Atalanta was the first to finally make a move, charging forward at the four hoplites. Her wings folded inwards in front of her, shielding her from the barrage of gunfire the hoplites unleashed as she rapidly close the gap between them. Leaping into the air, Atalanta soared overhead and blasted the arm off of one of the hoplites with her sonic disruptor. A small panel rose out of her right backhand and a short blade of blue energy emerged out of the opening on her hand.

Dropping straight down onto one of the hoplites, Atalanta's blade cleaved down the center of the mechanical soldier, slicing it asunder. With a pirouette, the two nearest hoplites received a deep slash across the mid-section. It stunned them just long enough for Atalanta to close up her tri-cannon and shoot her liquid metal out as a trio of long tentacles. They pierced through the torso of one of the damaged hoplites, hooking onto his body allowing her to swing the warrior around and slam it hard into the other hoplite she had damaged, sending both of them off the edge of the balcony. The fourth and final hoplite was so distracted by Atalanta's fast and furious attack, that it didn't notice Cyborg's approach. A powerful, point-blank shot from his sonic cannon tore a hole the size of a beach ball through its chest, destroying the hoplite instantly.

"Dammit," Bellerophon quietly cursed to himself as he witnessed the swift annihilation of his troops. While his body language didn't convey it, he was terribly surprised by Atalanta's ferocity. Even still, Bellerophon considered the hoplites to be expendable and didn't falter in the slightest as Atalanta turned her sights on him and charged. There was a flash of light and a sound akin to discharging electricity as Atalanta passed Bellerophon and fell to the ground. Her left arm lay severed on the ground beside her in a pool of liquid metal with Bellerophon standing untouched nearby with a large, glowing red energy sword in hand.

"Atalanta stop!" Cyborg shouted, trying to talk his companion out of continuing the fight, which she seemed to ignore. Before Cyborg had even finished his, she was back on her feet with her wrist blade charged. Bellerophon gracefully parried her attack, countering with a stunning elbow strike to her face. His free hand crackled with electricity seconds before he drove it into her stomach, sending a surge of electricity through her systems and rendering her unconscious.

"Foolish little girl," Bellerophon scoffed before he turned to face Cyborg. "I suppose you'll want a piece of me now." He chuckled confidently to himself as he deactivated and holstered his sword into a small compartment in his forearm. "As you humans would say – bring it," Bellerophon goaded as he mockingly motioned for Cyborg to come at him.

"I'm gonna mess up that pretty little face of yours!" Cyborg shouted as he charged forth and punched as hard as he could at Bellerophon. Cyborg was playing right into Bellerophon's hand though, who narrowly sidestepped out of Cyborg's path. Bellerophon's arm swung low, taking Cyborg out at the legs and flipping him head over heels.

As Cyborg stared dizzily up at the sky for a moment, Bellerophon's metallic frame eclipsed the sunlight. The general hung in the air for an instant before a rocket booster fired and propelled the massive machine back towards the earth. Frantically rolling out of the way, Cyborg narrowly escaped being crushed as Bellerophon's feet impacted with tremendous force. The brute force of the landing left behind a large crater in the center of the balcony, knocked over the nearby tables and chairs, and sent pieces of concrete showering upon the combatants. Cyborg tried to scramble back to his feet but Bellerophon knocked him across the balcony with a swift kick to the gut. He bounced across the concrete twice before crashing through the balcony wall, just barely managing to stay on the balcony by grabbing the edge of the shattered wall.

"One should know their limits," Bellerophon taunted as he marched up to the edge of the balcony and grabbed hold of Cyborg. Effortlessly lifting Cyborg into the air, he was flung into the nearby wall of the pizza restaurant. "I am somewhat disappointed though. With everything you Titans have accomplished, I was expecting a bit more of a challenge. I mean is this really all there is to the mighty Cyborg? You defeated Brother Blood and I humbly doubt I'm stronger than Blood." Cyborg merely frowned before Bellerophon grabbed him by the neck and pressed him firmly against the wall. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Atalanta for you."

Cyborg grit his teeth angrily as he watched Bellerophon wind up for a finishing haymaker. It was bad enough that he was getting his butt served to him upon a silver platter but Bellerophon made it painfully obvious that he was just toying with Cyborg. Cyborg, however, knew that would eventually make his enemy pay for their arrogance. . At the last moment, Cyborg grabbed the arm that was holding onto him and wrenched it enough that he could move his upper body enough to avoid the oncoming fist. The metal hand grazed past his face, grinding against the cybernetic part, before embedding in the wall. The tables quickly turned as Cyborg used his opponent for support and pressed both feet against his chest and blasted the rockets on his feet.

"Not out of this fight yet," Cyborg smirked confidently after the general landed hard on the ground. Cyborg closed in quickly and took hold of the mechanical warrior by his leg and swung him around several times before letting the general fly through the wall. Thankfully, the inside of the pizza restaurant became deserted when the fight broke out as Bellerophon crashed through half a dozen tables and booths before coming to a rest at the cashier's counter. Surprised, yet pleased, with Cyborg's resilience, Bellerophon was beginning to debate whether continuing with this fisticuffs was a smart idea. There was little time for contemplations though as a balcony table came flying towards the general. Reacting quickly, the table was batted aside easily by the general, which left him soon realizing the mistake he had made. The table was merely a distraction for Cyborg, who was already in Bellerophon's face by the time the table was knocked aside.

"Boo-yah!" His triumphant shout echoed through the pizzeria as Cyborg's haymaker blasted the arrogant general halfway through the kitchen, destroying several stoves and grills on the way. Both parties quickly realized that the resultant damage had broken several gas lines in the kitchen, which Cyborg did not hesitate to ignite with his sonic cannon. Between saving Atalanta and his favourite pizza joint, his friend took much higher priority. The leaking gas ignited in a powerful and fiery explosion that engulfed most of the pizzeria's backend.

"Knowing my luck, probably succeeded in pissing him off more," Cyborg muttered quietly to himself as he took a few steps from the raging inferno before him. Sure enough, seconds later the flames parted from the force of a concentrated energy beam. He knew it was coming yet there was nothing he could do except stare dumbly at the beam before it blasted him back out onto the balcony.

"You really are just full of surprises," Bellerophon chuckled in a surprising turn of events. The relentless general emerged from the flames, slightly blackened by the flames but otherwise relatively unharmed. It came as no surprise though. The gases in the kitchen simply didn't burn hot enough. "I wish more people were like you Cyborg, maybe humanity would be a more interesting opponent." With his energy cannon in hand, Bellerophon took aimed at the wounded Cyborg, taking a moment to let the cannon charge to full power. "Farewell Mr. Stone."

For a brief moment, Cyborg really thought that this might just be the end but when the sound of exploding blasts of energy filled the air it was not Cyborg who was the receiving end. A flurry of green energy bolts and black discs peppered the general, causing his energy cannon to discharge harmless into the ground.

"It's farewell all right but you're the one who's leaving!" The familiar voice of Robin called out from behind Cyborg. The Boy Wonder stood upon the wall of the balcony, flanked by the other members of the Teen Titans, all readied to take on the robot general.

"It would seem that you are correct Robin. A warrior knows his limit," Bellerophon remarked, still managing to maintain his air of arrogance despite the overwhelming odds. "Until we meet again Teen Titans!" With a quick salute of his hand, the general promptly retreated by rocketing into the sky at a great velocity. Though he wished they could've give pursuit, Bellerophon simply was too fast in the air for them to catch up without the use of the T-ship. Instead, the Titans focused on helping their friend as each one rushed to his side.

"What took you guys so long?" Cyborg groaned as he got back to his feet with Starfire's help.

"We got here as fast as we could," Robin answered, knowing that his friend wasn't making a complaint about their speed.

"Well you can help me load Atalanta into the T-car, she went and got herself trashed again…"

* * *

For the second time in two days, Atalanta found herself lying upon Cyborg's makeshift repair bed in the secluded tower storage room. Her exposed eye began to glow red as her systems finally came back online and the girl regain consciousness. Groaning softly, she sat upright and brushed back her messed-up hair out of her face. It took a few moments for her to realize that she was back in the Titans Tower and a few more to notice that her left arm was still missing. It lay on a nearby table while her 'mechanic' stood at his computer, toiling away with his work.

"What happened?" she groaned groggily as she looked over to Cyborg.

"You mean before or after you went ballistic and nearly got yourself killed?" he replied rhetorically. "Cause afterwards I was left to handle Bellerophon on my own until my friends showed up and forced him to retreat."

Atalanta fell silent for a while, nervously rubbing the stump of her left arm. "I…lost my temper. I'm sorry." she finally spoke, though very softly. She felt bad about letting her anger get the better of her judgment – she rushed into a fight and, instead of heeding her friend's advice, continued vainly and endangered both her and her friend's life. "I don't know what came over me. I just…saw his face and felt something out of my control just break lose."

"It's okay Atalanta – we all lose our cool at one point or another," Cyborg reassured her as he stepped over to her side and took a close look at her damage arm.

"On the bright side, at least I remember my name now."

"Anything else?"

"Just bits and pieces; none of which make sense. Faces and places that I can't quite put a name or location to." Her tone conveyed her usual sense of confusion and frustration at the emptiness that was her memory. "So…do you think you can fix me?"

"Shouldn't be too hard, I just need to reattach the major circuits and supports then your nanomachines should take care of the rest," Cyborg once more reassured her as he stepped over to the severed arm and began examining it closely. He might have been exaggerating it slightly when he said it 'shouldn't be too hard'. While reattaching his own limbs were easy, they were designed to come on and off with little difficulty. Atalanta's, on the other hand, weren't designed to come off and Cyborg hoped that Bellerophon's blade didn't burn off too much of her arm, or she'd wind up with one arm being slightly shorter than the other. Though his words and actions were on Atalanta, his mind was preoccupied with Bellerophon. It went without saying that Cyborg did not appreciate getting beaten by the general and a rematch was going to happen in the near future.

"Cyborg, why did Bellerophon call you Stone?"

"It's my real name – Victor Stone."

"So, how did he know that?"

"He…uh, that's a very good question." With the chaotic battle, Cyborg didn't give much thought to those little words uttered to him. _"Farewell Mr. Stone."_ How would a machine he had never met know his name? It didn't make any sense since it was extremely rare for anybody outside of the tower to know that information. _"I wish more people were like you…"_ Bellerophon's words kept running over and over in his mind like a skipping vinyl record. _"You really are just full of surprises."_ Why did those words leave such a lingering impression on his mind?

"Um, Cyborg?"

"We need to go, now," Cyborg abruptly announced as he shut down the computers and headed for the door. Atalanta was left in disbelief for a brief moment before she frantically raced after Cyborg, carrying her severed arm with her. He moved surprisingly quick as Atalanta wasn't able to catch up to him until he had stopped in the living for a brief moment to talk with Robin. The other Titans weren't certain which was more puzzling – Cyborg barging into the living talking about having to leave or Atalanta standing in the corner dumbfounded with a severed arm tucked her good arm.

"You're leaving? Cyborg you just barely got out of that last fight alive and you want to leave?"

"I'll be fine, they won't be expecting me to leave so soon. I'm taking the T-car and I probably won't be back for a few days."

"You can't just go off on your own," Beast Boy interrupted, trying to talk his friend out of a risky move.

"I'll be going with him," Atalanta answered.

"Oh yeah, you're really in fighting condition," Raven's sarcasm poked in for a moment.

"You guys need to stay here and watch the city. Trust me, we'll be fine." Cyborg did have a point. Even Cyborg leaving put the city at a slightly greater risk so he couldn't risk having more than one Titan going. "Listen Robin, I have a strong lead and I need to take a look into it before it slips away."

Once again, Robin was faced with the difficult decision of weighing Cyborg's needs with the needs of the team. Cyborg didn't ask for something from the team very often but when he did they were usually quite substantial. Eventually, Robin agreed to let Cyborg continue his investigation – Atalanta was the only lead to Slade and the Legion that they had and until her memory could be properly restored, it was just a lock treasure chest. "Just be careful, okay? And call us the moment you find anything."

"Thanks," Cyborg sighed in relief before heading off for the garage. Atalanta followed shortly behind him, leaving every curious as to what this lead was, Atalanta most curious of all. From the living room to the garage, Atalanta repeatedly asked Cyborg what his theory was but every answer fell upon deaf ears – he was simply too engrossed in his own train of thought for anything else.

* * *

Atalanta had sat quietly in the passenger seat of the T-car, trying desperately to get her severed arm reattached. However, reattaching a lost part would've been easier if she had a second hand to hold the severed part in place while the tools in her attached arm did the work. She was carefully trying to keep her severed arm steady by holding it between her knees but the speed of the car and the constant veering through highway traffic wasn't making it easy.

"Almost…almost…ow!" The car jostled upon hitting a pothole, causing her careful welding to clip one of her nerves, sending an artificial jolt of simulated pain to her central nervous system. "Hey, could you drive a little bit more carefully? I'm trying to do a DIY surgery here."

"I'll fix you when we stop, you don't have to do it yourself."

"You're not the one getting weird looks from people in passing cars," Atalanta retorted, waving her severed arm at Cyborg. Every person who caught a glimpse of the one-armed teenager gave her the weirdest look. It was sort of unnerving, especially for a teenage android who had been programmed to be somewhat self-conscious.

"I got weird looks all the time, just don't pay attention to it and you won't even notice it. They're just not used to it," Cyborg suggested, relating to his own experiences the months following his 'transformation'. Atalanta frowned slightly before surrendering to Cyborg's recommendations and stashing the damaged limb underneath her seat. At least now when people looked in through the window they'd just see a one-armed girl with a bandage over one eye – weird, but at least not freakish.

"So where are we heading? We've been driving eastbound for almost three hours now."

"We're going to Steel City. I have some friends there and I think a lead might be there," Cyborg answered at long last. "I…have to confess though, this really doesn't have much to do with you. I just…if I told Robin the truth he wouldn't have let me go. I'm sorry if I got your hopes up but if I this lead comes through, there's still a chance we may find more about your past."

"You…lied to us?"

"It's uh…I think there might be more than just Slade involved with this Legion. There might be another person, which would explain the more advance technology at Slade's disposal. His name is Brother Blood and he and I are sort of…"

"Nemeses?"

"He hacked into my mind and stole my blueprints. He tried to destroy Jump City using my technology, built an army of robotic copies of me, used my cybernetic components on himself, tried to use them on my friends, and the list goes on."

"So this is a vendetta? Blood is your nemesis and you think he might be involved with this Legion? How does this involve Steel City?"

"Cause that's where he was imprisoned. If he got loose, then my friends in Steel City would know about it."

"Couldn't you have just called them?"

"Blood is a manipulative individual. I need to confirm this with my own eyes. If Blood is involved, then the Legion has just become a whole lot more dangerous – Blood is incredibly intelligent and with my blueprints memorized he could've given Slade access to unimaginable amounts of technology. Combined both of their immense resources, intelligence, and power at the head of a mechanized army and we've got a world of trouble."

Atalanta nodded her head slowly, understanding Cyborg's personal mission against this Blood fellow. The name did sort of ring a bell in her mind though she couldn't put anything to that name. "Do you think…Blood could've had something to do with my creation? I have a sonic disruptor – it could be an upgraded version to your sonic cannon."

"It's entirely possible too and, to be honest, I don't want Robin to find that out. If he does…he'd probably have you scrapped...or used against Blood. You don't deserve either of those."

"Why do you think that? I am a machine after all – like this car. A tool to be used and, eventually, scrapped." Cyborg wasn't at all surprised to see this side of Atalanta. She was already a somewhat self-conscious girl; having a low self-image wasn't too far off. Atalanta really did have a wide emotional spectrum at her disposal. It sort of reminded him of his own mindset when he first became Cyborg. He saw himself more as a machine than a human being…an experiment of his father like so many others.

"You're not just a machine Atalanta. A machine doesn't have philosophical conversations. They don't laugh and blush like a school girl. There's more to you than just circuits and metal…just like this car."

A bashful smile curled upon her lips and there were hints of a faint blush in her cheeks as her negative thoughts left her mind. Cyborg was right…she was lucky to have a guy like him in her life. "Thank you…"

"I'll introduce you to my friends when we reach Steel City, you'll like them."


	15. Chapter 14: Crossing Paths, part 2

**Chapter Fourteen: Crossing Paths, Part Two**

**"Talk about deserted," Blackfire muttered quietly to herself as she landed on the outer rim of the old Jump City stadium.** It was a clear night with the crescent moon hanging high up in the sky, bathing the dusty fields of the stadium in a dim light. The empty rows of seats brought an almost eerie feel to this long-deserted gathering place. As she had promised, Blackfire dropped by this secluded locale to meet with the infamous thief, Red X. To be honest, Blackfire had been skeptical about coming to this place. While Red X interested her greatly, she wondered what his…roguish behavior would influence her. A friend once told her that the best way to stay on the right side of the law was to avoid temptation, which was something that she knew Red X would likely be full of. However, she couldn't help it. She missed the adventure and excitement of that lifestyle and seeing Red X reminded her of everything that she missed. In a way, she wanted a taste of it again without going back into that life of crime. Blackfire knew she would be left wondering 'what if' if she didn't keep her word and so here she was.

Scanning the vast, empty field, Blackfire saw no sign of Red X's presence…though she wasn't really expecting to spot him so easily. Chances were, she'd only find Red X when he wanted to be seen. Since she wasn't planning on being late for this 'date', Blackfire flew down to the center of the stadium and waited patiently, which was something Blackfire didn't do very often. Growing impatient rather quickly, her foot began tracing lines in the sandy dirt while her arms fold bitterly across her chest. "Where the hell is he?" she grumbled as she kept looking about. "If I've been stood up then so help me…"

Blackfire's curiosity as to Red X's location was answered in a rude interruption when a familiar arm hooked around her neck and a red cross blade was held up to her neck. Once alone, now the masked thief held up Blackfire, though she merely smirked at her new predicament.

"Twice now I've snuck up on you. You really need to pay more attention," Red X joked in a semi-patronizing tone.

"You should know that you can never really get the drop on me," Blackfire answered before grabbing each arm and throwing her upper body down. Her heightened strength pulled Red X clear over her body but he surprisingly managed to land back on his feet. No sooner had she escaped his first hold was she pulled into a new one, this time with one arm wrenched behind her back.

"You were saying?" he chuckled triumphantly. Blackfire didn't answer with words. She merely chuckled before flipping the rest of her body as to untwist her wrenched arm, which was fairly easy due to her ability of flight. The two fighters pushed away but wound up staring close to death. A charged starbolt was only inches from Red X's face and the tip of his blade was pressed ever so lightly against Blackfire's throat, forcing both of them to halt their attacks. Silence hung in the air as they remained perfectly still for neither was willing to drop their guard first.

"We could go like this all night," Blackfire remarked.

"That is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"I thought it was. I mean that night was…very, very good for me." Her tone was far more playful this time around compared to the first time they met. "But I'm not quite sure what I want anymore," she continued as her tone dropped to a more serious one and finally pulling back from Red X. Both fighters relaxed their stance; there probably wouldn't be any fighting tonight. Red X had to admit he wasn't too disappointed by this change of plans. What he wouldn't admit, though, was that the last fight collection of bruises that he wasn't looking forward to adding to. Dealing with a girl's emotional baggage was also something he wasn't looking forward to. Helping people was not something he did after all. That was too much of a 'hero' thing for his liking.

"Why do all the cute girls seem to have the most emotional baggage," Red X sighed lightly. "Okay, I'll bite. Why don't you know?"

"If you're not going to be sincere about it then why should I bother? Besides, it's my problems and I'll deal with it," she answered bitterly. Red X's patronizing tone irked her. What could she expect though? He was a thief – his world didn't extend beyond his own needs and desires.

"Fine, don't tell."

"I just don't get what the hell is wrong with me?" Blackfire blurted out after a moment of silence. "I walk by jewelry stores and banks and when I think about robbing them I don't get that same feeling of excitement or exhilaration that I used to. It's like everything I knew has been thrown out the window and it's all because of that damned little sister of mine. I left home so I could get away from her and now I've wound up having to lean on her for so many different things! I mean, I'm relieved that I can look at her without being filled with a violent urge to punch her lights out but it's just…I think all her goodie-goodie is starting to rub off on me and it feels…gross. I don't want to be a hero and yet everyone seems to keep pushing me in that direction! It's like I've lost all control over my life again and I'm just drifting with wherever the world's current is taking me. Why should I stick my neck out for other people when nobody has ever extended that kind of courtesy to me when I needed it the most! The Tamaranean in me cries out to charge into a battle but being a criminal has brought me nothing but disaster after disaster! I just…don't know where to go with myself anymore!"

Red X was dumb struck by the sudden ranting and ravings from the Tamaranean. Then just as suddenly as her outburst had started she fell silent; she panted softly from the inordinate amount of oxygen consumed and tidied her hair in an attempt to maintain her dignified appearance.

"I really needed to get that off my chest," Blackfire finally sighed in relief. She felt surprisingly better just shouting all that out, even if Red X wasn't paying much attention to it. "You probably think I'm a complete nutcase now…so I'll just be on my way."

"Wait a second!" Red X stopped her, as she was about to fly off. "Normal people are boring."

Blackfire chuckled lightly and set down a few inches from him. "Crazy makes life more interesting I guess."

"Makes you more interesting than your sister."

"Don't compare me to my sister again or I'll snap your neck, okay?"

"Like you'd be able to do that."

"Is that a challenge?"

"So now you're interested in tussle?"

"Well…this wouldn't be quite the same," she mused, lightly dragging her fingertip down his chest. Red X's eyes slowly panned to something past her – something that caught his eye.

"Move!" Red X shouted as he pushed Blackfire to the side and hurled a trio of shurikens. At first, he appeared to have thrown them at nothing until Blackfire saw the same thing that tipped him off. There were footprints in the dirt. The shurikens abruptly stopped accompanied by the sounds of metal-on-metal and sparking electricity. A greenish silhouette appeared before them, eventually shifting into the lithe, metallic figure of a Legion shade. It staggered back from the impact of the three shuriken, which were all embedded in its relatively thin armour. "What the heck is that thing?"

"Nothing good," Blackfire answered as she unleashed a powerful beam of energy at the shade. The blast punched the already damaged armor, shattering the shade into several large pieces. "All I know is that's called a shade. I thought these things were after the Titans, not me."

"We were originally until you interfered," a new voice bellowed out from above. The loose dirt was kicked up into a thin cloud as the Legion general, Achilles, landed a short distance from the pair. One by one, shades began to decloak, encircling them. "We're only here for the girl, human. Walk away and we will allow you to leave this place unharmed." Red X didn't answer at first, glancing at Blackfire and then the dozen shades that surrounded him. The odds looked pretty grim to say the least and while Blackfire piqued his interest, he wasn't the type to stick his neck out for anyone. Taking sides wasn't his style either.

"Well, I know when I'm not wanted," Red X finally answered. "Sorry babe but you ain't dying for."

"You bastard!" Blackfire snapped when she realized he was going to abandon her. Achilles chuckled likely at this poor display of loyalty, which was something he felt organics were prone to. Red X didn't look back as he casually walked to the edge of the circle. "When I get out of here I'm going to break you in half!"

"I doubt that," Red X answered upon reaching the ring of shades. "Cause I'm not leaving!" Red X suddenly turned on the nearest shade, slamming an open palm into its chest. A glowing red x was left on its chest, which quickly grew in size before it detonated, sending pieces of the shade across the field. With a quick spin, Red X hurled a flurry of shurikens at the neighboring shades, scoring fatal headshots on three of them.

"Insolent human!" Achilles shouted angrily as he reached over his shoulder and pulled out his long-arm, a sawn-off plasma cannon. "Kill them both!" Achilles wouldn't be given the opportunity to attack, though, as Blackfire came flying in from the left and belted Achilles with a punch that could've toppled over a building. Achilles didn't stop until the stadium wall got in the way.

"Still going to break me in half?" Red X quipped as the two fighters stood back-to-back while the circle of remaining shades slowly closed in on them.

"I'll give it a second though, if we get out of this," Blackfire answered, her hands glowing brightly in anticipation. "I count eight in total…shouldn't be too difficult." With four shades to handle each, the two fighters charged forth and threw themselves into the thick of battle. The shades fired a barrage of liquid metal slivers and tentacles, which the two were easily able to avoid thanks to flight or acrobatics. Red X flipped, twirled, and twisted his way through the web of metal blades. Landing on a trio of metal tentacles, the agile thief slid down the length of the tentacles back to its owner. Once he reached the arm, he slammed his palm onto the top of its head as he performed a handspring over it. The ominous hum of the x was drowned out by nearby detonating starbolts before the shade exploded into a shower of metal.

Glancing over to check on his comrade-in-arms, Red X watched Blackfire beat a shade into submission with its own severed arm. _"She's like some sort of…war goddess"_ Red X didn't have much to gawk though as another shade came after him. Expanding the blades on his backhands, Red X went toe-to-toe with the double-bladed shade. As the two sets of blades clashed repeatedly with each other, the second and third shade began to move in behind him. Not one to be caught off guard, he quickly shot two red streams towards the shades on opposite sides of him. As the two red streams clung to the shades' chests, Red X stuck the masses together, creating a giant elastic between them, which brought them together in a loud crash. With a loud whirr, his wrist blades began spinning, now whirling blades of death. A quick swing of his arm decapitated the two entangled shades, leaving him with only one more to deal with. Red X was finding these shades to sort on the easy side. However, with their lack of armor and armament, they were more designed for espionage rather than direct combat.

"Come on scrapheap, try and do what the other three couldn't," Red X taunted as he squared off with the last shade. The shade's metal hands separated into its single strands, hinting at its next move well in advance. As the tentacles launched out at Red X, he brought up with his wrist blades and used them to deflect the oncoming metal extensions. Sparks flew in all directions as Red X closed in, trying to keep the tentacles from closing in on him. That attempt was unsuccessful though as the tentacles soon began to wrap around the thief, immobilizing him before the shade. Red X struggled with all his might but after being hoisted into the air, the tentacles began constricting upon his frail figure. Oddly enough, Red X wasn't panicking for he saw what the shade didn't – Blackfire charging in from the side. With a starbolt charged in one hand, she flew past the shade and let the charged energy around her fist sear the machine in half.

"What took you so long?" Red X remarked as he slipped out of the now-loosened tentacles.

"Just had to handle a few things," she smirked, pointing over to the smoldering remains of the shades she had been recently battling.

"Now where's the big guy?"

Blackfire wouldn't have time to answer that though as Achilles made himself known by dropping in from above. The two fighters leapt out of the way as the general landed with an earth-shaking thud. In his hands, the general held his spear firmly and set his sights upon the Tamaranean. As he thrust his spear forward, Blackfire twisted her body enough to avoid being skewered by the blade, though Achilles quickly followed the stab by swinging the other end of the staff out and striking Blackfire with the blunt end. It left Blackfire stunned long enough for Achilles to strike her with the shaft of the spear with enough force to send the former princess into the stadium bleachers. Not forgetting about Red X, Achilles did a 180-degree spin, aiming to strike down the thief as quickly as Blackfire. The thief, however, was far more agile than the general had expected. Red X ducked under the swing and then jumped into the air when Achilles tried to follow-up his attack with a stab. Gracefully, Red X landed on the broad side of the blade and used the spearhead as a baseboard to propel himself towards Achilles.

"Heads up!" Red X quipped as he hurled a trio of shurikens at point blank range. The effect wasn't quite what he was expecting though, as the shurikens bounced off the armor as if they were pebbles. "Hm, tougher than I thought," he muttered after landing behind Achilles. "Well try this on for size." As Achilles turned about to face Red X, the gloved hand of the thief slammed firmly against the general's chest, leaving behind the trademark glowing, red x.

"Irritating little hu-!" The explosion that toppled him over interrupted Achilles curses. "Not bad…little human," Achilles voiced continued once the smoke settled. He tossed aside the stub of what remained of his spear and drew a small dagger out of a holster in his forearm. "Now you've pissed me off."

"You'd be surprised how often I hear that," Red X remarked as he charged his opponent, armed with his spinning wrist blades. He attacked with such speed and ferocity that he didn't even realize that Achilles wasn't attempting to block any of the attacks. Sparks flew as the blades clashed against Achilles' armour, leaving not even so much as scratches upon its surface. After about twenty swings Red X noticed that things weren't progressing as he had planned. Leaping back to put some distance between them, Red X noticed that his wrist blades had been reduced to broken nubs. "I'm gonna need a new strategy."

Now it was Achilles' turn to go on the offensive. Kicking up a cloud of dirt as he flew forward, Red X barely had any time to react, let alone move, as his entire head became encased by Achilles' hand. With a monstrous cry, Achilles slammed the helpless thief into the ground and began dragging his body through the dirt before pitching him across the field and into the arena wall.

"This…is exactly why I don't help people," Red X groaned as he staggered back to his feet. More pain was to follow though, as Achilles was already on top of Red X with a powerful shoulder check that crushed him against the wall.

"I told you to leave well enough alone," Achilles remarked as he backed away from Red X, who slumped to the ground in agony. "You have proven to be a decent adversary but like all organics, you are weak."

"Yeah…well, you're forgetting something," Red X groaned with one armed wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"And what's that?"

"Her." Red X pointed upwards, to an enraged Blackfire who now stood on the top of the arena wall, both hands charged with starbolts. Achilles was given no chance for rebuttal as a powerful beam of pink energy blasted the general, pushing him back into the center of the arena before being pelted with a barrage of additional starbolts. Smoke and dirt created a thick cloud around Achilles, masking him from sight; however, Blackfire knew he wasn't down yet and flew towards the cloud and just let her fists fly at the first thing she saw. From the opposite side of the dust cloud, Achilles was knocked off his feet once more in a cloud of dust.

"I'm not finished with you yet," Blackfire growled as she landed at Achilles' feet and grabbed hold of the general's legs. With a loud grunt, she started spinning Achilles around her, gaining speed with each passing moment. Once she got him going as fast as she could, two pair started rising up into the air, climbing higher and higher until they were well above the stadium. It was only then that Blackfire felt comfortable letting the general go, sending the opponent soaring high and far into the distance. She couldn't even see where he landed, nor cared as she slowly drifted back to the ground. "Oooo…make the world stop with the spinning…" Blackfire groaned as she staggered dizzily across the ground.

"Nice throw," Red X complimented as he moved to lend some assistance to the dazed Tamaranean. He tried to lend her support but in his weakened condition and her sudden downward tumble, the end result was both warriors collapsing to the ground.

"Nice catch," Blackfire answered whimsically as she had landed atop of Red X.

"I suppose this makes us even now."

"I don't know what system of mathematics you use but I counted two occasions where I saved your butt. You owe me."

"Oh…right."

"I glanced a few times during the fight towards you. You're a lot better than I thought," Blackfire mused with a playful smirk. "You know…I'm starting to see what my sister sees in you humans."

"I thought you didn't go for humans."

"Oh shut up before I change my mind," Blackfire insisted as she rolled up the bottom part of his mask and embraced in a deep, lustful kiss.


	16. Chapter 15: Hit the Ground Running

**Chapter Fifteen: Hit the Ground Running**

**"Okay, five laps around the city and not even so much as a convenience store hold-up," Kid Flash sighed lightly as he halted for a brief moment at a quiet street corner.** As part of his commitment to the Titans' efforts against the Legion, Kid Flash was actively patrolling the city just in case if the scanners at the Titans Tower went on the blink again. Just being able to move from one end of the city to the other made it easy for him to keep an eye on all the hot spots in the city as well as any other potential targets, based mainly on what had been stolen in the past. It had been a rather long night unfortunately and there hadn't been any activity from the Legion in the past few days. It was difficult to remain occupied or keep the boredom at bay. "Is it too much to ask for somebody to at least try robbing something? I'll be willing to settle for a measly purse snatching even."

Kid Flash would likely regret those wishes of entertainment for close by the Legion was indeed on the move tonight. On the far side of town, Achilles and his troops were moving tracking Blackfire's movements as she went on her way to meet with Red X at the old stadium. Closer to home, though, Heracles and his troops were tracking Kid Flash's movements. Even with his lightning-fast speed, the shades of the legion were able to keep an eye on his location simply by spreading out their troops in a large enough array as to have eyes covering almost every block of the city. Over time, his patrols become more predictable and the shades were able to focus on the regularly visited spots in order to keep tabs on him.

"SC-7 to Heracles, target is currently holding at sector nine-three-three." The shade remained cloaked at its position on the rooftops down the street.

"The preparations are almost complete, maintain observation until further instructions," the voice of the general answered.

"Maybe just another hour or so and I'll call it a night. Those Legions guys are probably not going to push their luck," Kid Flash sighed lightly, followed by a tired yawn. It was getting late and he had been doing a fair amount of running lately. "Okay…stay focused Wally…can't fall asleep on the job."

"The preparations are complete," Heracles announced over the radio to all of the shades in the field. "Charlie Company may return to base, all other units proceed to rendezvous point as per instructions." The trap had been set for the speedy hero and all that remained was to bring the pray to it. That part could be accomplished easily by sending a false signal to Kid Flash's communicator, tricking it into thinking that a silent alarm had been tripped at a nearby bank. It caught Kid Flash's attention immediately, clearly exciting the young hero.

"Bank robbery…well, beggars can't be choosers," Kid Flash chuckled lightly to himself before heading to the scene of the crime. The bank was located several blocks away from his current location so he arrived within seconds at the quiet, seemingly undisturbed bank. From the outside, everything looked normal, save for an expertly removed window, which Kid Flash reasoned was the entryway for the criminals. Entering the building was far easier for Kid Flash as he simply phased through the front doors and into the darkened lobby. "Uh…don't bank robberies usually involve…criminals?"

The bank lobby was completely undisturbed. Not even so much as one overturned desk chair. It struck him as unusual but it didn't mean that there wasn't something illegal happening here. "No way I could've been late." Kid Flash began to search the interior of the bank, even checking in on the vault, which was also undisturbed. "If I didn't know any better…I'd say this was some sort of expertly crafted-" Cutting off his words, the bank lights suddenly activated and the sound of movement focused Kid Flash's attention to his rear flank, where four hoplites had their weapons trained upon him. "Trap…" Kid Flash sighed lightly to himself as he stared at the four armed hoplites. He was already beginning to wish he hadn't been so gung-ho in this super hero business. "I really need to stop falling for these things."

"When your prey can move faster than you, the key is to get the target to come to you and trap them. I think someone of your abilities would expect traps more than open fights," Heracles spoke up, stepping into view behind the four hoplites. Standing well over a head taller than the hoplites, Heracles was always an imposing figure on the battlefield. "I am General Heracles and I will be your destroyer for the evening."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Destroyer and I hate to break it to you but you're going to need more than just four minions just to stop me," Kid Flash retorted.

"Your speed will do you little good in this confined location."

"Then I hope you don't mind if I prefer to take this outside!" Kid Flash quipped as he dashed for the wall. However, before he was even able to make contact with it a strange energy field blocked his path. The electrical barrier provided a painful shock to the young hero, throwing him away from the wall and sending a rippling effect through the entire field, revealing that the energy field lined the entire interior of the bank.

"You people have certainly done your homework," he groaned as he got back to his feet.

"Wide-range, level four containment field. This bank shall become your coffin." Kid Flash took a quick look around the bank's inner wall, spotting several large posts cleverly tucked behind desks and filing cabinets. He knew right away he must've

"You've only got the job half-done tinhead. You still gotta hit me." As the hoplites opened fire, Kid Flash began his frantic dash around the interior of the bank, mainly doing laps around the perimeter and weaving around gunfire in the process. Even with his lightning-fast maneuvers and quick thinking, it was difficult for Kid Flash to keep pace with the equally fast calculating and processing power of the hoplites, which could keep track of the hero and lead their fire accordingly. Kid Flash knew they were going to use the same tactic any other intelligent opponent would use against him – tire him out and finish him off when he can no longer run, which, given how much he had run about before coming here, would be a reality very, very soon.

"Would it be foolish of me to suggest a surrender?" Heracles taunted as his troops continued their relentless barrage.

"It's very nice of you to offer, but I don't think I'd be able to take you all in at once," Kid Flash shouted in response after taking cover behind one of the support columns. He'd have to be more proactive if he were going to make it out of this. The problem was that he wasn't particularly equipped to handle opponents of such fortitude.

"Funny, you must think you are a real comedian."

"Not really, though I do a pretty good Road Runner impression." Deciding to move to the offensive now. Rather than running from his opponents, Kid Flash surprised them by charging right for them, seemingly on a collision course. At the last moment though, Kid Flash turned right and dashed across the line of hoplites, leaving them all suddenly empty-handed. "I'm willing to bet that you guys don't have permits for these," Kid Flash joked as he carried the four rifles in his arms. All four hoplites appeared a bit startled by the sudden change in the battle and were unable to do much more except watch Kid Flash hurl the armful of rifles in the perimeter wall, which the energy field promptly fried.

"That will not save you human," one of the hoplites growled as it tried to draw its pistol, only to have the weapon swiped out of its holster before he could ever put his hand on the handle.

"Ooohh, looks like I'm a faster draw than you," Kid Flash said as he now stood on the opposite side of them, twirling the stolen pistol in hand. "Pretty fancy toys you guys have here. I wonder what else you have." The Legion soldiers were beginning to see their own trap backfire on them as Kid Flash literally ran rings around them, poking and prodding at every little nook and cranny on their surface.

"Stop that!" Heracles shouted in frustration as he took a swing at Kid Flash with his club, though only succeeding in taking the torso off of one his hoplites by mistake.

"You should always say you're sorry after knocking somebody in half," Kid Flash said with a wag of his finger. He held a cylindrical item in his hand, which he swiped from one of the hoplites before pulling back. "I wonder what this thing does," he mused before pressing a small switch on the side. Exactly like Bellerophon's swords, the a lengthy beam of energy extended out of the handle, almost putting a hole through Kid Flash's curious head in the process. "Now that's neat – very 'Clash of the Planets'." The remaining hoplites quickly drew their pistols, training them on the hero who was now carrying one of their weapons. "I must commend you guys for doing a great job at trapping me like this. The only problem is now you guys are stuck in here with me." A wicked grin crossed his face as he held the energy blade out and began spinning in a circle, quickly picking up speed and becoming a cyclone of death.

The integrity of the hoplites was beginning to waver as Kid Flash began to move in on them, eventually forcing them to attempt to flee with little success as he mowed through them like a lawn mower.

"Why do I even bother bringing them?" Heracles groaned as Kid Flash began to approach him, though the behemoth general stood his ground without worry. As Kid Flash drew closer, Heracles simply brought his club straight up and then straight down, smashing it into the ground with such tremendous force that the entire earth seemed to shake beneath their feet. It was so violent that it actually knocked Kid Flash off his feet, who fell hard to the ground and his weapon bounced across the ground out of sight. As he tried to get back to his feet, Heracles reached down and grabbed the fallen hero and hoisted him into the air. "Let us see you try and run out of this, little man."

"I don't need to run, but you certainly will," Kid Flash as he pulled out another item that he had pilfered from the hoplites. It was small, round and had large circle pin sticking out of the top of it. "I might not be a technical expert but I have a pretty good idea what this thing does when I do this." That confident smirk spread across his face as he pulled the pin out of the grenade, holding it close as to keep Heracles from taking it from him. It left the general with only option left – throw the hero away. After being pitched across the room, Kid Flash managed to land on his feet and immediately took off with the primed grenade. The explosive ordinance was deposited neatly next to one of the energy posts that were maintaining the containment field. The powerful, concussive blast annihilated the post and left a gaping hole in the bank wall. "That was fun but you're going to need to try a lot harder next time."

"This isn't over yet human..." Heracles sneered before Kid Flash left the scene. Normally, he wouldn't leave a bunch of villains at a bank, but if they were purely after him then they would just leave after this colossal failure.

--------------

"So Cyborg left? Man, that guy pulls me into this business and then he just takes off when things start to get interesting. Well, let somebody know that the Legion just tried to ambush me so they haven't forgotten about us yet," Kid Flash reported to his friends over his communicator. He sat on the front stairs to an office building several blocks away from the bank. So far, he hadn't heard anything from the Legion so that left Kid Flash confident that they had left the bank well enough alone.

"I will be sure to inform Robin of this development," Starfire answered from the other end of the line. "Are you unharmed?"

"A little winded but I'll be fine. However, if there's any more alarms tonight, I'm going to let you guys handle it. I don't think that Heracles guy is ready to give up on me yet."

"Very well. Perhaps you should turn it in for the night. We shall handle things from here." The conversation suddenly wasn't able to continue as the line went snowy with static and interference.

"Uh…Starfire? Hey Starfire!"

"They can't hear you I'm afraid," the familiar voice of Heracles perked up from behind Kid Flash. "We're jamming your communicators so you won't be able to call for any back-up."

"Hey if it isn't Little John," Kid Flash remarked as he hopped back to his feet. "Didn't learn your lesson the first time, huh? Probably built a bigger mouse trap but do you think you can really catch this Speedy Gonzalez?"

"No, no mouse trap this time. Just some good old fashion rat poison."

"Rat poison?" Kid Flash was getting a little lost in this analogy at first, until he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his arm from a dart that was now embedded in his bicep. "You poisoned me? Now that just lacks effort." Of course, the unchanged expressions merely masked the now seeded worry about what this machine had just put into him.

"Don't worry, it's merely a cocktail of sedatives and relaxants. It won't kill you, just slow you down…a lot."

"How…much?"

"For somebody of your enhanced metabolism, probably just take your speed down by 50, maybe more." Kid Flash backed away slowly, beginning to get worried by Heracles remarks. There was no denying that Heracles was accurate in his statements though, as he could feel his mind beginning to feel a bit sluggish and unresponsive.

"Well that is all well and good but I think I'm going to be leaving now. See ya!" Kid Flash quickly waved and raced as fast as he could away from Heracles. Kid Flash felt like he was already going full-tilt but he was barely going at a quarter of his usual speed. Halting a few blocks down the road, Kid Flash glanced behind him to see Heracles flying down the road after him. "Never going to reach the Tower at this rate," he sighed lightly, starting to feel a bit on the dizzy side due to the drugs. The world faded in and out for a brief moment, causing Kid Flash to lose focus on his opponent and allow the general to close the gap. For once, dodging became a challenge as Kid Flash dove out of the way of Heracles' club.

"Try and run now little man!" Heracles shouted as he brought the club down again at Kid Flash. The young hero scrambled out of the way, barely managing to stay on his feet as the club smashed a small crater into the road. "I'm going to grind you into dust!"

"Oh if only I had a nickel for every time I heard that," Kid Flash managed to maintain his light-hearted attitude as he kept moving fast enough to avoid being on the wrong end, any end really, of Heracles' weapon. Once he got the chance, Kid Flash made a break for it to put some distance between him and the angry giant. However, before Kid Flash could even make it to the intersection, a car came falling from the sky and crashed only a few feet ahead of him. The fragments of the car flew in all directions, knocking the hero off his feet.

"You're not getting away that easily," Heracles growled before he took a major-league swing at a nearby mailbox. The blue metal box was launched into the air, arcing through the sky and towards Kid Flash.

"Ah man!" Kid Flash grunted as he rolled out of the way in time to miss being crushed.

"Having fun yet?" Heracles chuckled as he stepped up to the rear end of a small car. Another powerhouse swing from his club sent the automobile soaring through the sky like the previous one. Getting out of the way of this car proved to be a bit more challenging than the mailbox. When it hit the empty spot in the road, it showered Kid Flash in broken steel, plastic, and glass. Kid Flash groaned in discomfort, especially due to the muffler that landed on his calf. "This will hit you," Heracles laughed loudly as he hoisted a parked bus above his head.

"Slight problem with that," a new voice spoke up, now turning the one-on-one fight into a two-on-one. Standing several meters past Heracles was the pink-haired mistress of misfortune, Jinx. "Namely, me."

Heracles was, in a sense, caught with his pants down between the two heroes and preoccupied with a bus over his head. Her magic hit the bus and triggered a chain-reaction through the engine that ignited the full tank of diesel. Heracles was engulfed in the massive fireball that erupted from the bus.

"Jinx!" Kid Flash gasped when the imminent danger began to fade.

"Looks like I'm saving your butt again," she remarked in response as she raced over to help her friend. "I'm getting pretty good at this."

"How did you-"

"A very worried Starfire gave me a call when your call went dead," Jinx interrupted with her explanation. "You're just lucky that I was close by." Because of his slightly battered leg, Jinx helped her friend up and supported him by putting his arm around her shoulder.

"And you said you were only good for bad luck," Kid Flash chuckled lightly as the two beat a hasty retreat. Jinx's mission was to get her friend out of there and not to worry about the condition of their opponent.

It wasn't until much later than the broken pieces of twisted, flaming metal wrecks began to shift and the hulking frame of the Legion general emerged. Unlike his heavily armored partner, Heracles didn't have the same level of armor plating and the damage left behind by the exploding diesel was evident on his scorched, dented armor. "This is Heracles to command. Attempts to assassinate Kid Flash have failed. I am pulling back to repair and reorganize."

"I am very disappointed General," Slade's voice answered the message.

"Maybe if the hoplites weren't next to useless, this would be easier."

"The hoplites are to supplement you General. You and your fellow Generals are the real strength of the Legion. Let them destroy as many hoplites as they wish. It'll make them over-confident and oblivious to the real danger."

"Patience Heracles, we're almost to the next phase."

--------------

"So where's your housemate?" Kid Flash inquired as Jinx set her wounded friend down on her couch.

"She's been out all evening – something about meeting a friend," Jinx explained. "Want some ice or a drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice." Jinx headed over to the kitchen to fetch him a drink, while Kid Flash kicked his feet up onto the couch. "Listen, thanks again for the whole bailing me out thing."

"I stopped keeping track of who owes who after you talked me out of the HIVE Five." Jinx took a seat next to him and handed the small glass of water. "I sorta owed you a big one after that…or at least a lot of small ones."

"See, I told you that you'd like this side of the fence," Kid Flash smirked before downing his glass in one go. "I mean you've got your own place now, a very, very colourful housemate who's not inept, and you've getting the respect you wanted."

"I wouldn't exactly say I've got the respect I wanted but I do have more respect than I did beforehand," Jinx answered as she folded her arms across her chest. "It'll be a while before I'm on the par with the Titans or some of the other big heroes. I thought it was hard to earn prestige in the criminal world, it's really hard to gain prestige as a hero, especially since most of the criminals had been in prison for the past half a year."

"Just be patient Jinx. Maybe this Legion ordeal will be the big break you could use."

"I'm sure the Titans will clean that mess up before I'd even have a chance. Besides, I barely know what's going on there."

"The Titans have kept me very up-to-date. I'll make sure that they don't do anything without your involvement."

"Oh yay, playing second fiddle to the big guys," Jinx's sarcasm was so heavy it practically drizzled off of her words as she twirled a finger in the air. "Maybe I'd be better off finding another city."

"Hey, now don't talk like that," Kid Flash said as he tried to reassure his friend. "There's plenty of opportunity in a big city like this for you, it's just going through a big of a recession. With all the criminals busted out of the Adamantine Prison, there's going to be a big need for heroes like us. Even without those big criminals, there is always a need for heroes in a large city – everything from small-time crooks to apartments fires."

"I wouldn't exactly say my powers are very useful when it comes to apartment fires…starting them yes but not putting them out and busting small-time crooks isn't exactly fulfilling." Jinx simply sighed lightly to herself as she reflected on her situation.

"Don't ever sell yourself short Jinx. You have a very special gift that can be put to a very good purpose. Come on, I move really fast. I'm not really strong and I can't shoot laser beams from my eyes. You saw how I was holding up against Heracles. I was surviving because he had trouble hitting me but there wasn't much that I was doing against him. You, on the other hand, just show up on the scene and you took him down in one go," Kid Flash said as he gave his friend a very supportive pat on her shoulder. Jinx smiled a bit bashfully in return as a faint glow rose to her cheeks. "You can do a lot of good in this world Jinx, you'll see."

"Thanks Kid Flash," Jinx said softly in response. "I know I'm not always the most grateful person but I really appreciate everything you've done for me."

"You know I'd do anything for a friend."

"Just…friends?" Jinx said with a suggestive tone as she shifted a bit closer.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything too suggestive. I figured it might be moving our relationships a little too fast," he answered, eliciting a small laugh from both of them.

"Since when have you cared about taking things slow?" Jinx mused as her suggestive tone was matched by an even more suggestive grin. Jinx leaned in closer, her eyes locking with his.

"Hey Jinx, I'm home!" Blackfire's suddenly shouted out from the living room door, causing the two hormone-ridden heroes to move back into causal positions on the couch. Blackfire stretched her arms as she strolled into the kitchen, a bright smile across her face and a slight bounce in her step. "Hey Flashie, what happened to you?"

"Had a bit of a rough-up with a giant robot," Kid Flash answered casually.

Blackfire, might I have a word with you…in private," Jinx hissed the last words sharply and motioned for Blackfire to join her in the other room. Blackfire shrugged her shoulders and followed along with her housemate. "You look like you're in a good mood."

"I had a good time out on the town. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything…private," Blackfire joked lightly.

"It's okay," Jinx sighed lightly. "Just…uh, why do you have dirt all over you?"

"Had a bit of a tussle at the arena with one of the Legion generals. I think we've got their attention."

Jinx rolled her eyes and gently shook her head. She was hoping the attack on Kid Flash would be an isolated incident. Hopefully, Blackfire would give her some peace and tranquility for the rest of the evening so Jinx headed on her way back to Kid Flash. "Well, the attention can't be all that bad if you still managed to get that hickey on your neck."


	17. Chapter 16: God Among Mortals

**Chapter Sixteen: God Among Mortals**

**"Listen Cyborg, I appreciate your…concern but I promise you if there was anything at all happening that involved Brother Blood, we would've contacted you,"** Speedy insisted as he, Cyborg, Atalanta, and the other members of the Titans East walked down the hallway of the Steel City penitentiary. "Brother Blood hasn't moved an inch since we put him in jail the first time. You didn't need to come all the way down here just check on us. We can take care of the city after all." The members of the Titans East were very prompt in meeting Cyborg at the Steel City jail and while they were reluctant to even consider the possibility that Brother Blood might've slipped under their radar, they weren't going to dismiss Cyborg's concerns.

"No offense but when it comes to Brother Blood, I have to stay skeptical about everything. Especially since the last time I didn't the five of you nearly beat the crap out of me," Cyborg answered while Bumblebee spoke with some of the prison guards to explain their presence. Just like the Titans East, the guards were very insistent that nothing had happened involving Brother Blood. To nobody surprise though, Cyborg's stubbornness trumped all of them as he continued into the more secure sectors of the prison.

"I don't want to say 'I told you so' when the time comes Cy, but I can understand your skepticism," Bumblebee admitted, siding with her friend rather than her teammates.

They finally reached the end of the corridor, where a large, thick steel door separated them from the man Cyborg sought. Simply because of how dangerous Brother Blood was, the prison staff spared no expense in making sure that there was no way possible for Brother Blood to escape, which they were confident was infallible. Cyborg, of course, held his reservations until he saw Blood locked up for himself. The guard on duty didn't question Cyborg's request as he punched into the access codes and the steel vault-like door slowly slid open. There, with all four limbs secured within large blocks of steel that fused with the walls and floor, was the notorious, cybernetic Brother Blood.

"I told you so," Bumblebee remarked as Cyborg sighed in disappointment.

"Has he always been kept offline like this?" Cyborg inquired.

"Ever since he tried to hypnotize the guards," Bee explained. "It was eventually decided that it'd be best to keep him in permanent solitary confinement. Personally, I'd rather him be awake so he can agonize over every minute in the dark."

"This doesn't make any sense," Cyborg muttered to himself. "I was almost certain that Brother Blood was involved with the Legion…"

"Oh, you've run into those guys as well?" Aqualad commented when her heard the familiar name.

"They've been causing a ruckus in Jump City for a little while. We know Slade is leading them but I figured Brother Blood was involved in it as well. Have the Legion been causing a lot of trouble in Steel City?"

"A few robberies here and there. The only big thing they did was cause a massive blackout throughout the entire city when they nearly damaged the local power stations."

Though his experience with the Legion was limited, knowing Slade every action was a higher purpose and attacking a power station likely had some major purpose since there was no theft involved. "When the power went out, how long did it take for the back-up generators in the prison to kick in?" Cyborg asked, directing his question to one of the guards.

"Um, not sure the exact number but there were some problems with the auto-starters so we had to go to the generators manually to start them up. I think we were only out of power for a minute or two. It's not big deal though, all the locks are designed to remain close even if power is lost," the guard answered, obviously not thinking the same train of thought that Cyborg was.

"This isn't the real Blood…" Atalanta's voice suddenly spoke up from where she stood next to the incarcerated Blood. She was looking very closely at the bindings that restrained the prisoner, lightly running her fingers over the surface as well. The Titans East stared at Atalanta with disbelief in their eyes, but said nothing as she continued. "These bindings have been tampered with. There are microscopic fractures in the locking mechanisms suggesting that they been subtly forced open…probably by an electronic lock-picking device."

"That's…that's impossible. I might believe breaking out but you're saying this isn't even the real him?" Speedy finally spoke up, sounding the team's disbelief in Atalanta's assessment.

"If the power was out for a few minutes, a detachment of the Legion's shades would be able to infiltrate easily. They make the quick switch and be gone all in 2.33 minutes."

"Um, are you sure we can trust her?" Aqualad whispered to Cyborg. He grew a little concerned at how easily she could deduce a plan with such accuracy. However, she had a heavy-duty computer processor running her brain so putting the pieces of a puzzle together was almost too easy for her.

"Atalanta might have some insight into the Legion's plans. She was held prisoner by them…though her memory is sorta on the fritz," Cyborg replied.

"It's a primitive replica. A bit like me though designed to only appear and read like the real Blood. A replica like this would need some research into the subject. Has there been any trouble with the security system in the past few months?" Atalanta asked to nobody in particular as she started examining the supposed Brother Blood clone.

"The guards reported some glitches in some of the sensors a while ago. They kept going off on their own but there wasn't anything setting the sensors off. We were called in to investigate but we looked over all the security footage and logs and found absolutely nothing," Speedy insisted, though he didn't like where this line of conversation was leading him. At the time that it happened, the Titans East thought nothing of it and attributed to a glitch in the security system. That belief was further reinforced when no further problems arose after a system update.

"The sensors were probably working fine but since a shade is designed to remain hidden nobody ever found the source," Atalanta explained, once again proving her investigative skills and understanding of the Legion. "This thing probably doesn't even work and if it weren't for the fact that he's been kept offline it never would've passed off for the real thing."

"Wait…you're saying this is our fault?" Aqualad interrupted.

"No. I'm saying the Legion has a strong understanding of you, Blood, and probably a lot of other people. They probably counted on you keeping Blood offline…might be among the reasons why they took him into their fold."

"Into their fold?"

"It means, Speedy, that Legion existed before Blood. They probably brought Blood in for something…maybe something he knew."

"He knows Cyborg inside and out. Maybe that's what the Legion wanted," Bumblebee suggested.

"Having a keen insight into the Titans would be a tactical advantage…but you could get a psychological examiner to study Cyborg for a few months and know how he thinks better than Blood. I don't know…maybe the Legion wanted somebody with a lot of resources at his disposal or just somebody with more intelligence than the Generals." Atalanta shrugged her shoulders to share the same feeling of uncertainty that the other Titans felt as well.

While Cyborg was almost...glad that his intuition has proven to be correct, he did not, at all, like the prospect of having to due battle against Brother Blood again. Another question has been answered but yet another has been raised in this ongoing mystery about the Legion, its origins, and its ultimate goals. This also meant that Slade and Brother Blood, two of the worst foes that the Titans had ever faced, were putting their heads together in some sort of mad scheme against them. Cyborg once thought that the Brotherhood of Evil was one of the worst collections of villains he had ever come across…but this one brought a terrible sense of foreboding unlike ever before.

"You know, the technology in this replica is not too unlike my own. A lot more simplistic but there are a bunch of rudimentary elements that are common with my own…especially the synthetic bio-organic components," Atalanta said as she continued her study. "There's…a very good possibility that I have origins very akin to the Legion."

"Are you sure she's not one of them?" Bumblebee asked, as each Titan's concern grew with Atalanta's further discoveries.

"You came crashing into the Tower wrestling one of their hoplites," Cyborg reassured Atalanta and the other Titans. "It shot you about a half-dozen times. Even if you shared origins with them, you certainly don't share in their beliefs or mentality."

"You suppose…I could've been a traitor?"

"It would explain why Bellerophon wanted you back so badly…and how you seem to know the Legion so well."

"Or you could simply be born from the same mind but not necessarily built by the same hands," Speedy suggested. "An android of your complexity doesn't spring out of somebody's garage, somebody with a lot of resources and knowledge built you. I'm willing to bet you good money that whoever built you, probably has done something in the private sector before." The other Titans nodded in agreement and then Bumblebee fell into a deep train of thought, as if trying to recall something.

"Wasn't there something about a missing engineer from the Wayne Enterprise facility?" Bumblebee finally spoke up.

"Yeah, that was about six months ago," Aqualad confirmed, quickly garnering Atalanta's attention. "I mean we were so busy with the Kronos thing that somebody could've walked off with the entire city without us noticing."

"What else do you know about this person?" Atalanta quickly asked.

"His name was Dr. Pangalos, he was a lead engineer at the Wayne Enterprise Research and Development facility in the downtown core," Aqualad continued to explain. "Now that you mention it, they were working on a lot of computer technology stuff at that place – robotics, AI, high-tech processors, you name it."

"Project…Olympus…" Atalanta muttered quietly to herself, though loud enough for everyone to still hear it.

"Yeah, that's the big thing Dr. Pangalos was working on," Speedy remarked when he heard the familiar name. "How'd you know that?"

"I don't know. It just popped into my head. The name must've trigger something in one of my damaged memory banks," Atalanta explained, though displaying just as much confusion on the subject as Speedy. "If it's not too much trouble…do we think we could stop by that Wayne Enterprise facility?"

"Might as well since we're in the neighborhood," Cyborg agreed. "Bee, could you take us there?"

"Of course, not much else we're going to learn here."

"One thing first though – you're taking me to a proper repair facility so I can put my damn arm back on," Atalanta added and waved her stump of a left arm at him just to emphasize the point. "I feel naked without my guns."

--------------

"So whom exactly should we talk to anyways?" Atalanta, now fully repaired, asked as the group of heroes walked through the main doorways of the Wayne Enterprise Research and Development facility. Blue granite walls and black stone floors greeted them in the front lobby, which reminded them more of an expensive office building than an R&D facility but Wayne Enterprises had always been known for going that extra distance over the competitors.

"Let's just ask the receptionist," Speedy remarked as he cut to the head of the pack and casually strolled over to the receptionists' desk. A professionally dressed young girl, probably not even out of high school yet, greeted the Titan. "Good afternoon madam. My fellow Titans and I are in the process of an investigation into recent activities in both Steel City and Jump City." Speedy laid on the charm rather thoroughly, which wasn't too surprising for the other Titans who saw this sort of behavior regularly from him. "We were wondering if we would be able to speak with the man in charge, primarily about Dr. Pangalos."

"I'm afraid you can't speak to a man in charge," the young receptionist politely replied.

"Listen, we're working on a very important case here," Speedy pressed on, though didn't quite hear every word the receptionist had said. "I know being the head of a facility can be busy work but we're on a very tight schedule here and I'm sure a young lady of your resourcefulness and charm would be able to find, or make, a bit of time for us. I'd be more than willing to repay you over, say, dinner." The other Titans couldn't help but chuckle lightly at Speedy's persuasiveness. The receptionist managed a polite smile back to Speedy while containing her own urge to chuckle aloud.

"I suppose I'll take you up on that offer. Now I can't get you in for a man in charge, but I can find time for you to talk with the _woman_ in charge," the receptionist finally answered, trying to hold back her giggling, much to Speedy's annoyance. Moments later, Speedy returned to his friends and several smug grins.

"Not a word!" Speedy snapped at them with a pre-emptive strike. "Besides, I don't see any of you picking up dates so back off."

"I have my own official fan club, I don't need to 'pick up'," Aqualad quipped.

"Anyways…" Speedy growled bitterly, trying to pull the conversation back to the important matter at hand. "The new project leader, a Dr. Sakazaki, has some time to spare before an afternoon meeting so we'd better get moving."

Speedy led the group of heroes up a nearby flight of stairs to the administration offices located on the second floor. After navigating a series of cubicles, they eventually crammed themselves into a relatively small office belonging to the project leader and head of the Wayne Enterprise facility, Dr. Naomi Sakazaki. The middle-aged, Japanese woman sat behind a cluttered oak desk, accompanied by a backdrop of large bookcases and schematic drawings framed on the wall. "Well if it isn't the Teen Titans East. I assume this has something to do with Dr. Pangalos," the woman greeted with a polite smile. Cyborg and Bumblebee sat in the pair of chairs in front of the doctor's desk, while the remaining Titans stood behind them.

"We believe the doctor's disappearance might be tied to recent activities by an organization known as the Legion. The Legion is composed of highly advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and weaponry – all of which would be on par with the level of research you conduct at this facility," Bumblebee explained.

"Are you…suggesting Dr. Pangalos might have something to do with the Legion?" Sakazaki replied, easily following Bee's line of reasoning. "Do you have any evidence of this?"

"At the moment, we don't have any physical evidence but his disappearance is at a reasonable time for somebody to have created a mechanized army, either with his cooperation or by coercion. Right now, we just need to get as much information as we can about this man and what he's worked on in the past up to his disappearance.'

"Dr. Pangalos was an unsurpassed genius when it came to anything involving robotics and supercomputers. This whole facility was practically built to be his personal laboratory. I doubt he would've cooperated with anybody since the Olympus Project has been the fruit of his labor for several years now. It was practically all he lived for at the moment. As for the specifics of his research, I can't really say off the top of my head. I was brought in from another branch of the Olympus Project in Gotham City when he disappeared, so I'm didn't know him too well. If you really wanted to know, I suppose you could try talking to Poseidon."

"Poseidon?" Cyborg asked.

"One of the products of the Olympus Project – one of the three most powerful supercomputers in the world with true artificial intelligence at its disposal."

"True AI?"

"Basically we've blurred the line between man and machine so much now that you can't see the two apart. The Olympus Project is the first successful project with true AI technology."

"I've heard about true AI…a lot of failures in the past," Cyborg commented.

"Creating a true AI has been possible for a few years now but the trouble has been…the added human element now to the machines. With full sensory capabilities and unrestricted thought processes, the AI's had a tendency to become…depressed about being confined to a mainframe in a large building. Several managed to self-terminate, while some went…well, insane would be the best way to describe it."

"So what made the Olympus Project so successful?"

"Well at first there were problems like before. We tried to accommodate the AI's by providing as much social contact as possible – Dr. Pangalos actually became particularly close to Poseidon. Arguably the best of friends even. Right now we're working on creating a means of giving the AI's mobility in the means of transferring their AI personality into a mobile body, though at the expense of processing power. I'd go into more detail but there are corporate secrets that need to be maintained. Now you are welcomed to speak with Poseidon for a short while since I have a meeting with my superiors in a few minutes, though I would ask that only one or two of you go – security reasons and whatnot."

"Atalanta and I will go," Cyborg announced as he rose from his seat.

"We'll just wait in the lobby for you," Bee added as she rose as well.

"You can ask one of my assistants outside for directions. I do hope you find Dr. Pangalos soon, the project has been going much slower because of it…"

--------------

Tight couldn't begin to describe the level of security that awaited Atalanta and Cyborg as they ventured into the deepest levels of the facility. After several security scans, multiple escorts, several confirmations with the front desk and administration, and more locked, armoured doors than Cyborg could count, they arrived at the final layer of security separating them from the AI supercomputer known as Poseidon.

Atalanta felt a slight sense of…excitement actually. Answers felt within her grasp rather than just hope for answers. The Olympus Project rang a bell in her mind but she couldn't put her finger on it. She might've heard the Legion mentioned something about the Olympus Project but in what context she couldn't be certain of.

When the final security clearance came through from the main offices, the two armed security guards entered their keycodes into the computer terminals that flanked the armored door that sealed the final gateway. "You will be under constant surveillance while in the computer room. There are no routes out of the chamber and you may press the red button next to the door to signal when you wish to leave," one of the guards explained before the two heroes headed inside and the close was shut behind them. Inside the clean, static-free room, they were greeted by a large computer screen that stretched across the far wall with the largest computer mainframe either of them had ever seen before.

"Um, hello?" Atalanta called out, wondering exactly how to summon this Poseidon. The computer screen flickered to life at the sound of her voice, though all that eventually appeared on the screen was a series of vertical bars.

"Good afternoon," a computerized voice echoed through the spacey room, accompanied by the corresponding movement of the bars that represented the computer's pattern of speech. The voice was very bold and assertive, yet calming at the same time. It was almost what one would expect if they were speaking with a divine being. "How may I be of service?"

"Hi there," Atalanta greeted, feeling a little odd talking to a disembodied voice. "I understand that you're a true AI."

"That is correct. From my initial scans, I can see that you, too, are an automaton – a very advanced one might I add."

"That's right. I'm an android, though I doubt I'm as sophisticated of an AI as you," she replied, feeling as though she had just received praise from a god.

"And your friend here…is a mixture of man and machine. Fascinating. I have heard of such technology but I had never seen it implemented on such a large scale before. What are your names?"

"I'm Cyborg…and this is Atalanta."

"Cyborg of the Teen Titans. I thought you looked familiar. Now as to what do I owe the honour of your visit?"

"We need information on your former head engineer – Dr. Pangalos," Cyborg explained. "We think he has connections with an criminal organization known as the Legion, which is using a lot of technology he'd likely be familiar with."

"So you wish to know what work he has done as to confirm whether or not he is involved with this Legion? While I do not believe that Odysseus would be involved with criminal behavior, his disappearance makes him the most likely candidate. I shall prepare a disk with all the information you require. I do, however, suspect that there is a bit more to this meeting than just getting a disk…otherwise you both wouldn't have come here."

"Yes…I wanted to ask you a few things about…Odysseus. Why did you call him that?" Atalanta asked, puzzled now.

"It was a nickname he goes by around this facility. He was Greek by birth and had an major fascination with Greek mythology – hence his nickname, the name of this project, my name, and the others."

"How many other supercomputers are there?"

"Three, including myself. The others are Zeus and Hades, who are located in other facilities in Jump City and Gotham City respectively. The Olympus Project aims to create an ultimate team of supercomputers that can be used to analyze and solve the most difficult of problems presented to us...once completed of course. Odysseus designed each of us – he was so gifted in the ways of computer technology. I do…miss him terribly. But enough about that matter; what is it that you wish to speak about?"

"I need to know if it's possible that Dr. Pangalos had anything to do with my creation."

"Might I inquire why such knowledge appears to be so important?"

"Cause I can't remember who I am anymore."

"You are a machine. Does is it truly matter?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Unlike humans, we machines have the advantage of being able to truly 'start over' when the need arises. We are gifted with being able to actually change on a whim. If we do not like the way that we are, we are fully capable of altering ourselves to better suit our environment. It can be an active process or even a gradual, passive change that allows one to conform better to our surroundings. Who you were doesn't matter because it has no impact on what you will become – it is entirely up to your own devices to choose who and what you are. They say that to better yourself is to change and to perfect yourself is to change often. For us, the ability to change so freely makes us almost a god among mortals." Talk about a god complex…

"Wait a minute, you're saying I can just change who I am as easily as changing the channel?"

"Not quite. You, Atalanta, can easily alter some aspects of your physical structure within the parameters set up by your endoskeleton but your mental processes would require a more…sophisticated piece of computer technology than what you are currently carrying. With some assistance, you can change any aspect of yourself. So I ask again, is it truly important that you find out who you once were?"

Atalanta remained silent as she digested Poseidon's words. For the past several days her past had been the focus of most of her thought and now she finds out that it isn't that important for a machine with the capacity to alter every facet of her being with minimal effort. Part of her wanted to accept everything he said and forget about her past, for it really wouldn't matter who or what she was so long as she prefers the way she is right now. On the other hand, there was still that sense of belonging and history that came from knowing your past. "Please – I'd like to know."

"Very well then. My scans have shown that you are, with little margin of error, a product of Dr. Pangalos' genius. Whether you were crafted by his hands or merely crafted on a drawing board I cannot deduce. If you can find him, I'm sure he can better explain your history."

"Thank you," Atalanta said softly with a quick, polite bow.

"Just a quick question," Cyborg interrupted. "You said you were designed to solve problems – mind if we run a quick one by you?"

"Of course. If this will help your investigation then I shall commit all my resources to your query."

"The Legion's stolen a lot of stuff. I'll give you a copy of the list and maybe you can give us an idea of what they might be able to build with it," Cyborg explained as he headed over to the mainframe and pulled out a small disc out of his arm computer.

"I thought you would give me a challenge," Poseidon remarked confidently. "As you humans would say – bring it." Cyborg inserted the disc into the mainframe and all went silent in the room with the exception of the hum of cooling fans and the whir of a media drive. A total of twenty-five long and silent seconds passed before Poseidon finally returned with a conclusion. "The possibilities are incredibly diverse with these large quantities of raw materials, though I was able to narrow down the results by linking the current items with other closely related items that could be used to create items of significance for an organization such as the Legion. The most likely possibilities are large-scale aircraft engines, intermediate-range cruise missiles, rapid manufacturing facilities, long-range sensory devices, anti-matter particle accelerator cannons in the terawatt range, twenty-three varieties of armor plating…"

"Particle cannons?" Cyborg blurted when he realized the power-level that Poseidon had attributed to it. "A particle cannon in the terawatt range is border-line weapon of mass destruction. I thought a weapon of that caliber wasn't possible."

"It'd require a computer of advance level of computing power to maintain the control fields and fuel injections, but it is theoretically possible."

"How strong of a computer?"

"An epsilon-class or better. The probability of the Legion getting apprehending a computer of that quality is extremely unlikely."

"What about a Ressoult Mark Five?"

"If upgraded with the proper parts, it would more than meet the requirements."

"Are those parts on the list?"

"Yes."

"Great…so Slade has the ability to build a cannon that'd make Chang's disintegration cannon look like a pop gun."

"Not quite," Poseidon said, bringing some hope back into this situation. "There is still a missing component. It would require an anti-matter containment field generator. I do not know of any locations that have one on hand." At least there was one break in their investigation plus it also gave the Titans the advantage of knowing what technology would be the Legion's target. It would be the perfect for a trap…rather than being the one being trapped.

The conversation was abruptly interrupted when Cyborg's communicator began to beep loudly. "This is Aqualad calling Cyborg, can you read me? We've got an emergency developing in the lobby!"

"I read you Aqualad, what's the problem?"

"Legion – a whole damn lot of them too. Get back up here immediately. I don't know how long we can hold them." Then, just as quickly as the communicator beeped, the line went silent.

"Come on Atalanta!" Cyborg announced, grabbing his companion by the arm and quickly hurrying to the door. Just seconds before he could push the button to request being let out when the door was blasted out of its doorframe and sent flying right into Atalanta. "Atalanta!" The momentary distraction caused by the injury to his friend was sufficient time needed for the attackers on the other side of the doorway to hit Cyborg with a powerful beam of energy.

"Do they follow me or am I just unlucky?" Atalanta grumbled as she pushed the door off of her.

"Very, very unlucky," the ever-familiar arrogant voice of Bellerophon echoed through the halls and computer room as he stepped through the broken doorway. "I told you this wasn't over Cyborg."


	18. Chapter 17: Baiting the Trap

**Chapter Seventeen: Baiting the Trap  
**

**"Got any threes?"**

"Negative. You may go fishing now Beast Boy."

"You just need to say 'go fish' Star," Robin corrected his friend while Beast Boy picked another card out of the pile. It had been an otherwise slow day in Jump City. While Robin and the others were glad that there wasn't any trouble happening in their fair city, Robin was anxious as to find more about the Legion and, more importantly, Slade. All their past experiences with Slade had taught them that you only found Slade when he wanted to be found…not that Robin still didn't keep trying to find a lead in the giant sea of clues left behind by the Legion.

Cyborg had been gone for several days now, which wasn't too surprising since he was driving out to Steel City. The Tower was a fair bit quieter without their steel-plated friend around and Beast Boy had been growing anxious without his best friend to hang out with. Thrice in the past several days did Robin or Starfire had to intervene to stop Raven from throwing Beast Boy out a window. It was hard to believe that Cyborg's mere absence could lead to such building tensions in the team. After all their years together, Robin realized that each of them had a special place on the team and not just in fighting crime.

"How many days has it been?" Beast Boy asked.

"Cyborg has not contacted us in three days now. I hope his lead has not proven to be too dangerous," Starfire answered. "Do you have any eights?"

Beast Boy remained silent as he slid the card across the table to his opponent. "I'm sure he's fine. Probably taken his new girlfriend around Steel City to show her a good time," Beast Boy quipped, almost bitterly that the temporary habitant of the Tower was taking up so much of Cyborg's time and attention.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you sounded jealous," Raven spoke up from where she sat on one of the couches with a book in hand. "Let him have his time with her. When was the last time Cyborg had somebody he could relate to?"

Beast Boy sighed lightly, which was his sign of capitulation. It was hard to let Cyborg go like this. They had spent so much time together since they became friends so having a girl literally drop in from the sky and pull Cyborg away from him was hard to accept. Part of him did hope that his friend could find that special connection with Atalanta. Starfire, Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy had all felt that strong connection before…though Robin and Starfire were the only ones who had managed to make something last out of it. With the exception of a short stint with a girl from thousand of years ago, he hadn't really found a connection with the fairer sex. At first, they simply attributed it to Cyborg's still slowly growing acceptance of what he was but soon they worried that what he was had put him off those sort of relationships altogether. Atalanta seemed to be proving that wrong though.

"You think it's a good idea though? I mean…it's great that they're getting along but she's not real," Beast Boy replied, showing a slight tidbit of insightfulness for a change. "In the end, she's just circuits and wires…"

"So is most of Cyborg," Robin interrupted, changing channels on the TV. "Just because she's not flesh and blood doesn't make her any less of a person. A normal relationship isn't something people in our position get very often. Being half-machine would probably make it a little more difficult for him than the rest of us."

"She's as real as he wants her to be," Raven added, though not interested in being drawn into a philosophical conversation on what is real. "She looks, feels, and acts like a regular person."

"She has even laughed at your grotesque body noises and humoured your attempts at telling jokes," Starfire commented, inadvertently dealing a crushing blow to Beast Boy's ego.

"Guess that makes her more human than Raven," Beast Boy quickly recovered, though by dragging Raven into the conversation again his chair got pulled out from under him. Starfire smothered a giggle with her hand before picking a fresh card from the deck. In the midst of their conversation, none of them noticed the door to the living room opening up and the missing Titan that they had talked about so much had returned with Atalanta in tow. Needless to say, they both looked as though they had seen better days with numerous nicks, dings, scratches, scorch marks, and broken armour plates.

"At least we don't need to ever wonder if they're real or not," Beast Boy joked.

"I'm assure you that the size of my breasts are well within natural ranges for a woman of my stature," Atalanta quipped, slightly amused by Beast Boy's little joke. Beast Boy gasped loudly at the revelation of his friend's return, immediately jumping out of his seat and racing over to Cyborg.

"My friends! It is glorious to see you have return and…what has happened to you two?" Starfire's excitement turned to confusion when she saw the level of damage the two of them bore.

"Ran into some mechanical friends of ours," Cyborg remarked, referring to the Legion obviously. It was a sort of dumb question but the Titans had to be certain. "How about Atalanta and I get cleaned up and then I'll sit down and give you the long and short of what happened."

--------------

"An anti-matter particle accelerator cannon?" Beast Boy repeated, trying to make sense out of the lengthy spiel of words that barely registered a ping in the radar of his vocabulary. The Titans and Atalanta sat around the living room table now that the two mechanical members had repaired their damaged bodies. Robin called the meeting in order to discuss what Cyborg had discovered in Steel City and to plan their next course of action. From what Cyborg had hinted at earlier, they might have a lead against Slade now.

"Okay…well, picture Dr. Chang's disintegrator cannon," Cyborg began, simplifying the concept to something that Beast Boy already had a general idea about. "Now imagine it about ten times bigger and able to punch a hole from here to China. That would give you the general idea of the level of destructive power that this cannon potentially wields. You understand now?"

"Yes," he replied after a long pause.

"You don't, do you?"

"No."

"It's bad news," Robin simplified to the most basic of terms. "From what Cyborg's told us, Slade and Brother Blood seem to be building this cannon…and probably something to house it in as well."

"Poseidon mentioned advanced aircraft engines," Atalanta recalled. "He could be intending to build some sort of plane for it…"

"The kind of energy and fuel requirements for a weapon of that size would require a vessel of monstrous size," Cyborg explained. "If I were Slade, I'd probably go for something a little more concealable."

"Perhaps a floating vehicle," Starfire suggested, though she was exactly certain how that would work either.

"Wouldn't get much use out of a weapon that needs a direct line of sight," Robin sighed lightly. They were trying too hard to think like Slade – a man who has proven numerous times that he is simply to unpredictable and by the time you know what he was up to it was far too late. As hard as it was to admit, Robin figured it was unlikely that they would figure out what it was until the weapon was already online. Right now, the only lead the Titans had was this supposed piece of experimental technology that Slade would need to complete the weapon. The question that still rang in Robin's mind was motive. This seemed to be far too elaborate and too complex for merely constructing a weapon of such power. It was far too straightforward…at least for Slade's method of operation.

"I'm not too sure about this," Raven voiced her concerns, which were similar to Robin's own. "This seems a little too…convenient. Slade has misled us before. We need to take this lead with a good amount of skepticism. Slade could be just trying to lead us on a wild goose chase. Do we even know if this sort of technology exists?"

"Don't see why not," Cyborg answered. "It's not a new concept – just one that'd extremely difficult to make work in the real world. It would need a lot of calculations and constant adjustments; the exact kind of role they could accomplish with the computer technology that he's stolen."

"None of this matters," Robin said sternly, taking control of the meeting again. "We don't have any other leads at the moment so in the mean time we can't ignore the one we have. We'll investigate it…carefully but if Slade is looking for this technology, we need to get to it before he does." The Titans could all agree to this point, though Raven was still skeptical to the validity of this information. They were basing this entire lead off the calculations of an experimental super computer. It was a bit of an understatement to say that Raven didn't hold the greatest of trust in machines.

"We'll start looking into who could be making that kind of technology," Cyborg agreed.

"No, keep an eye on things in the city. I've got some contacts that'll know where I can find this sort of technology," Robin explained as he got up from the table.

"What sort of contacts?" Raven inquired, suspicious of Robin's usual secretive methods. Considering Robin has had dealings with criminals before, such as Dr. Chang, it was not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think there might be more.

"I'd rather not say," Robin sighed lightly. "Just trust me on this, okay?" Robin excused himself from the table and retreated back to his room. Though often effective, the Titans didn't fully trust Robin when he went on his secretive ways.

--------------

Robin was in his 'Slade-room', where he retreated to every time he needed to contemplate the next move of his arch-nemesis. He had spent many days and nights in this darkened chambered, where the only things he saw were old newspaper clippings, video footages, old case files, and the darkness of the ill-lit chamber. With a phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, Robin was busy scribbling down the information being fed to him from the other end of the line.

"Okay…thanks. I understand. Um…thanks for the help Bruce," Robin ended his phone call and hung it up. No sooner had the phone clicked on the receiver did a knock come from the door. Considering how long he had been in the room, Robin figured it was probably Starfire coming by to check on him as she always did. "Come in," he called out. However, when the door opened and the person stepped in, it turned out to not be his girlfriend, but instead the cybernetic Atalanta. "Oh. Atalanta, what are you doing here?"

"I was hoping that I could help you," Atalanta offered, stepping over to look at the items scattered across the table. "Your friends are worried that you will be in here for many days trying to understand what Slade is attempting."

"He enjoys playing mind games with me…he probably gets a kick out of the thought of me toiling away for hours in here – only to always wind up being one step behind him at every turn," Robin explained with utter disdain and contempt in his voice. "We've beaten him before it's just always messy and ugly…and usually involving a lot more brute force than I would feel comfortable with. We'll beat him…I just wish I knew what he was really planning."

"I think I might know," Atalanta said hesitantly.

"You…do? Why haven't you mentioned anything earlier?"

"Cause making sense of what's in my mind is like trying to make out a jigsaw puzzle with only a handful of pieces," Atalanta explained with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Things that might not make sense a week ago can become clearer as my databanks repair themselves and I begin to put some of my memories in proper context. When I was being held prisoner…I remember overhearing the generals make reference to 'the Three' a number of times. At the time I thought they were just being egotistical and referring to themselves in a stupid manner. After their attack on the Poseidon supercomputer…I think they might be targeting the three supercomputers. From what I can understand, they would be exceptionally dangerous in the hands of a psychopath. I mean if he had the supercomputers under his control, he wouldn't need to steal a magnetic containment field generator. He would have all the technical knowledge he'd need to build one of his own."

"You're saying we find the other supercomputers and we can figure out where they're heading next?" Atalanta smiled and nodded her head. It brought a sense of satisfaction for her to be able the Titans out, especially after everything they had done for her.

"All we'd need to do is figure out where the nearest supercomputer is."

"Couldn't he just go back after the one in Steel City?"

"They might be computers but they still have personalities. They wouldn't cooperate unless Slade had sufficient leverage – say, holding all them in his control. The survival of the project would be paramount to them."

"How the hell do you know all that?"

"I'm an AI, remember? I have an insight into the way they think – we're not clouded by petty emotions. We're able to see the big picture and make judgments about that."

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed…or be slightly insulted by that."

"Hey, reverse the situation and I don't understand you humans some times. I mean…I have the full capacity for emotional expression but I'll find myself feeling some emotions that don't make any sense. It's…weird and hard to explain. You humans have your whole lives to adjust and get used to these feelings but for me…it's like being born and already an adolescent. You…understand any of this?"

"I sort of get it," Robin reassured. "Though it doesn't matter. Come on, I know where to find the next supercomputer."

"How do you know that already?"

"I've got a friend in a very high place at Wayne Enterprises," Robin answered, leaving the matter at that as he took Atalanta along with him. She might prove useful when dealing with another artificial intelligence.

--------------

Robin parked his motorcycle against the curb in front of the towering commercial structure that bore the words 'Wayne Enterprises' at the top. A combination office building and research and development facility, this particular Wayne Enterprises building was of significant importance to the company, which made it the ideal location to house an monumental project. Getting through security wouldn't be too much of a problem considering his prominence as a hero in Jump City…the only thing that concerned him was whether this would work. Slade might come for the supercomputer, as Atalanta suggested, today…or it could be a month from now. Robin figured he'd check in on the supercomputer, make sure things were secure, and then figure out a way to keep tabs on the building. When Slade came…Robin wanted to be ready for it.

"This place looks a lot more secure than the last one," Atalanta commented as she flew in from the sky, landing next to Robin and retracting her wings. "At least twice as many security cameras, the walls appear to be 54.5 stronger, and..." Atalanta was interrupted when Robin's communicator began to beep loudly, sounding its urgent call.

"Hold that thought," Robin instructed as he answered the call.

"Robin, there is a crisis on the east end of town," Starfire explained, the sense of urgency evident in her tone.

"But…I'm on the west end and…"

"It's another Legion raiding party."

"I'm working on a lead. Can you and the others handle it?"

"We can but Cyborg has requested to remain at the base while he finishes repairs. He said he is not feeling sufficient to engage in a battle."

"I know you, Raven, and Beast Boy can handle it. Just be careful."

"We shall." Robin sighed as he pocketed his communicator. This was just perfect timing on the Legion's part.

"Um…Robin, my scanners aren't picking up any movement. Shouldn't a building of this size have some movement?" Atalanta explained as she stared at the side of the building with a dim, red glow in her eyes.

"Dammit, they're already here!" Robin shouted, pulling out his staff and charging through the front doors with Atalanta following close. While everything on the outside appeared normal, it was evident how bad things were the moment they stepped into the lobby. It was the Adamantine Prison all over again – bodies were strewn across the entire lobby. Everyone was dead…even the receptionist. The amount of splattered blood across the walls and floor suggested that it was the stealthy shades rather than the louder, more destructive hoplites and centaurs. Bad did not even begin to describe the situation that Robin and Atalanta had found themselves in the thick of.

"If I had a stomach I'd feel nauseous right about now," Atalanta remarked as she began to search for any survivors, though she wasn't expecting to succeed in that endeavor.

"We have to find that supercomputer," Robin instructed, motioning for Atalanta to follow him again. A quick check of the receptionist's computer revealed the location of their destination, which was, to no surprise, located deep within the complex. After making a quick mental map of the layout displayed on the computer, Atalanta led Robin from the lobby to the research labs located at the center of the development section of the building. Their worry grew as they moved further into the building and yet failed to encounter any soldiers of the Legion. Atalanta estimated that the bodies in the front lobby weren't more than an hour old, which meant it was unlikely that the Legion had gotten away already.

"This door has been tampered with already," Atalanta said as she examined the final door leading to the 'vault', as listed on the computer. "Should open pretty easily." Though the door had been closed again, Atalanta was confident she could open it again. Grabbing the edges of the door, she began to pull with all her might. The metal began to creak loudly as its structural integrity began to weaken under the intense force she was exerting. Unfortunately, her foresight failed to take into account what would happen after she snapped off the several-hundred-pound steel door and when it did, the momentum carried her several feet back and landing hard on the ground with the door atop of her.

"Uh…you okay Atalanta?"

"That's twice I've had a door on top of me," she grunted as she slid out from under the metal slab. "I didn't think androids could have bad luck but I must be an exception to the rule."

"There's no time to waste, come on," Robin helped his friend off the ground and the pair raced into the vault to find it…absolutely undisturbed.

"Okay, what's wrong with this picture?" Atalanta muttered as she lowered her tri-cannon.

"Aside from the fact that it seems like the Legion has never been in this room?"

"No…that's pretty much it." With no obvious signs of danger, Atalanta retracted her tri-cannon and began to scan the room. "Um, hello? Anybody home?"

The computer screen that stretched across the far wall began to stir to life, much like the Poseidon supercomputer had in Steel City. "Who goes there?" A deep, commanding, and ominous voice echoed through the entire chamber. Its deep baritone practically rattled Robin to the core.

"We were suppose to be the rescue team but…I don't see anything to be rescued," Atalanta answered a bit uncertain of what to say.

"I'm Robin…and this is Atalanta. We came here because we thought a dangerous organization known as the Legion was planning to strike here."

"There was an assault in the main foyer of the building. The upper floors were evacuated and the facilities were locked down as a result. The intruders attempted to gain access to the vault but I had managed to re-seal the door after they broke through the preliminary security systems," the voice answered.

"Uh-oh…" Atalanta mumbled as she glanced over to the door she had ripped off its hinges. Now they were exposed.

"So who are you anyways?" Robin asked.

"I am Zeus: the product of a science far beyond your understandings that has been in the undertaking for many years - a supercomputer unlike all others and surpassing all in capabilities. I assume by your arrival that the danger out front has been thwarted."

"I think the Legion might've left," Robin replied, though skeptical that they would've given up so quickly.

"Pardon my inquiry, but why do you believe that the Legion would be interested in me? Powerful as I may be, I would not cooperate with any criminal organizations?"

"Because we think they're after your 'brothers' – Poseidon and Hades," Atalanta answered. "We think Slade would use them as leverage against you."

Zeus remained silent for a bit, contemplating the possibility of that fate. "I suppose…that would be feasible. Still, in our current experimental state our powers outside of calculations and computations are extremely limited. What would we be able to provide?"

"An magnetic anti-matter containment field generator," Robin answered. "We think Slade's building an anti-matter fueled weapon of monumental proportions. That piece of technology would be the key item needed to complete the project. Would you be able to create one?"

Once again a long answer as Zeus calculated his response. "Yes." It was a brief, but loaded answer that worried Robin even further. "I would suggest that you prevent this Legion from capturing me."

"Don't worry, nothing's going to happen while we're on the job," Robin reassured with a confident grin.

"I wouldn't be too certain of that." A new voice pierced through the room…a voice that filled Robin with malice as it echoed in his mind. Even if he never heard another sound in his life that voice would never be forgotten as if it had been permanently etched into his very brain.

"Slade…" Robin growled through gritted teeth as he turned to see his arch-nemesis standing in the doorway.

"It's been a long time since we've been able to talk face to face. Over a year I think. You're looking well…I hear you're dating your teammate Starfire as well. That's good…that's very good," Slade's patronizing remarks only further to irk Robin's temper. Despite the overwhelming urge to just charge in and knock Slade's lights out, Robin hesitated to try and figure out what Slade was planning with this conversation. "And if it isn't the little angel. My friends and I have been going through quite a bit of trouble to find you."

"What are you up to Slade?" Robin barked bitterly.

"Oh come now Robin, you should know me better than that by now. If I wanted you to know, I would've told you a long time ago. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out eventually…though you'll always be one moment too late just like every other time. I honestly expecting you here a little sooner. I am almost disappointed – I hope all these months without me haven't dulled your skills."

"Well whatever it is you're up to, I'm going to put a stop to it – just like every other time."

"Not to sound too clichéd but you and what army?" Slade remarked with that tone in his voice that always meant that he knew something that Robin didn't. Reaching into his pocket, Slade pulled out a little remote controller-like device, which he pressed a button on immediately. Robin's curiosity as to what the remote was lasted briefly when a suddenly surge of electricity through his body. Every muscle tightened for an instant before falling limp and everything went dark. Two taser electrodes retracted out of Robin's back, reeling back into their pods located on Atalanta's upper thighs.

"Excellent work my little angel."

"Thank you commander…"


	19. Chapter 18: Seeds of Destruction

**Chapter Eighteen: Seeds of Destruction**

**What had just happened?** Robin's mind was still trying to piece together what was going on around him, not to mention what had transpired to lead him up to this situation. Robin could barely get his thoughts to focus for more than two seconds, let alone focus on the words that floated through the air around him. People were talking but that was a fairly vague statement at the moment. The last the thing he could remember was threatening Slade…and then darkness immediately followed. Had he been ambushed from behind? Was Atalanta okay? Wait…Atalanta was the only person behind him. Robin didn't want to believe it, but it was entirely possible that Atalanta had been playing the Titans for fools from the very beginning. It would fit right up Slade's alley…it was like Terra all over again. Robin was having trouble believing that a girl who had fought so ferociously against the Legion could've been working for them the whole time. Cyborg had reassured Robin time and time again that Atalanta was on their side…how could Cyborg be wrong as well? Robin wanted to jump to immediate conclusions but for the moment, until facts became clearer, he would reserve judgment on Atalanta.

"Hey Robin! Wake up already!" That voice - it was Cyborg. That didn't make any sense to the half-conscious Titan. How long had he been out? As the world gradually grew clearer for Robin, a repeat of the message confirmed that it had been Cyborg's voice calling out to him. When Robin finally managed to pry those seemingly lead-plated eyelids of his, he discovered he was now in a darkened chamber. He could barely make anything out around him as a result but a quick tug of his wrists and legs discovered that the Titan was strapped down to a table of some sort, kept at a slight upward angle so he wasn't at least staring at the ceiling. "About damn time you woke up! You've been in la-la land for hours."

"Cyborg? What…how'd you get here? And when?" Robin immediately asked as he glanced to his right and could just make out Cyborg in a similar situation as him.

"I've been here for a couple of days now, thanks for noticing I haven't returned to the Tower or sent you any messages," Cyborg sarcastically snapped back.

"Um…you came back earlier today."

"I'm pretty sure I would remember returning to the Tower. I never even left Steel City!"

"What? How'd that happen? How'd you get here?"

"Well to make a long story short, my lead on Brother Blood was right. My investigation led me to a Wayne Enterprises research facility, which was attacked by the Legion shortly after my arrival. Bellerophon confronted Atalanta and me and just as I was about to kick his ass, something hit me from behind and totally knocked me out. When I woke up, I was here."

"I hate to break it to you Cyborg, but I think Atalanta sucker-punched me as well. It's entirely possible that she's working for the Legion…"

"There's no 'entirely possible' about it Robin, she is working for us," Slade's voice cut into the conversation as lights began to flicker on in the room, revealing a small jail cell that was housing the two Titans. Slade was standing at the doorway, accompanied by a pair of hoplites. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake Robin. I bet you've got a lot of questions to ask."

"You're lying! There's no way Atalanta would betray us!" Cyborg shouted angrily as he tried to break free from his bindings, but to no avail.

"I'm afraid it's the truth. Sacrificing a few hoplites here and there to make sure you truly believed she was one of you was an acceptable loss. It does help that she is, underneath all the sophisticated technology and cybernetics, just a machine and machines always do what they are told." Cyborg growled quietly, the rage brewing inside as he tried to disprove Slade's arguments in his mind. Slade was right though…she was just a machine. "Didn't you ever think for a moment that she was too good to be true Cyborg? Didn't you ever ask yourself why it seemed like she was practically made for you? The truth is, she was."

"Why Slade? Why did you do it?" Cyborg barked. Nobody played with his emotions like that. Nobody.

"I have a few minutes, so I suppose I can explain a bit more. I'll need to start from the beginning, so please be patient." Now Slade was just patronizing them as he began revealing some of the more intricate details of his plan to them. Nothing he was going to reveal would help the Titans now…the plan was so far in motion nothing was going to stop it now. "About half a year ago, a somewhat disgruntled scientist from Wayne Enterprises sought to make a name for himself by utilizing his creations for a much more sinister purpose. He was a brilliant scientists, truly gifted in robotics and AI technology."

"Dr. Pangalos…" Cyborg grumbled.

"Correct. So when I heard about this man I figured it would be a good idea to see what he could offer. After a few, favourable demonstrations, I recruited the good scientists skills to create what you now call the Legion. Now you don't create an army of that caliber and just march it around for fun…no, I just had to find a use for them," Slade continued, walking over to one of the hoplites and running his fingertips across its polished chest plate. "Strong as they are, you can already attest to the fact that their limited AI could only carry them so far. That's when the Generals were made – Bellerophon, Heracles, Achilles, and Atalanta. Now Atalanta was the last and she had a special purpose in mind, she was going to infiltrate you Titans lure you each away so that I could pick you off one by one."

"What about the Adamantine Prison?" Robin asked.

"Mostly to get your attention but it has its own purpose, though that you won't need to worry about it."

"There's no way you could've sent Atalanta as a spy…I checked through all her data files, there was nothing pertaining to you," Cyborg insisted, trying to pick out any holes in Slade's story in hopes of discrediting it.

"That's because there wasn't anything about me in there. Now before we could create Atalanta, I needed a way to make sure she would have no chance of failure. You, Cyborg, became the prime candidate. With the right personality, a mechanical young lady would be absolutely irresistible to you and be able to earn your trust in a heartbeat."

"That's why you broke Brother Blood out of jail. You needed somebody that knew me inside and out!"

"Very good," Slade congratulated mockingly. "With Brother Blood's help, we were able to create a truly convincing young girl that appeal to you and still remain under our control. After fragmenting her memory and planting all the right clues, we set her free and let her personality take her to you. From that point on it was just letting you be who you are and following Atalanta right into out awaiting hands. She really was the perfect spy. She was so well in her disguise she doesn't even realize that she's one." That news brought a strange sense of relief in Cyborg. Atalanta wasn't actively betraying Slade…she was being controlled by him. It wasn't really her fault that she was doing this.

"So everything about the anti-matter cannon was just a lie?" Robin questioned.

"Oh no, I'm still planning to build one but there's more to my plan than just a simple cannon. I think it's time we took you on a little tour of my humble abode." With a wave of his hand, several hoplites entered the room. They quickly moved to remove the Titans from their mounted bindings and replace them with more portable ones. Robin and Cyborg's hands were bound tightly behind their backs and a collar attached to two four-foot long poles were fitted in order to keep control of the Titans' positions.

The hoplites on the end of the poles forced Robin and Cyborg to follow Slade as they all exited the jail cell and headed out into the main chambers of the complex. There, the Titans saw what looked more like a factory assembly line than a base, with computer-controlled equipment slowly manufacturing new soldiers for the Legion. It was a gradual process with only a few soldiers being created on a good day but it was slowly building the numbers of the Legion up. "Impressive, no?" Slade said as he leaned against the catwalk's railing overlooking the factory floor. "Within a few months I'll have hundreds upon hundreds of Legionnaires at my disposal. By then, of course, my control over this city will already be absolute."

"What are you planning Slade?" Robin sneered viciously as the Hoplites kept Slade at a safe distance from him.

"Come along and I'll give you a hint," Slade teased evilly as they continued their tour of the facility. The next room that Slade brought them to was almost as large as the previous, with huge amounts of computer equipment set up along the perimeter. On the far side of the room, Cyborg and Robin saw what they immediately recognized as the mainframes belonging to two of the supercomputers they had visited…plus a third one that they assumed was the final one – Hades. Slade had all three supercomputers in his possession. That, however, was not what Slade wanted them to see as he directed their attention to a large computer system that was hooked up to two elevated beds. Next to the strange device were several, large, glass tubes and in each one was what appeared to be their fellow Titans…though completely lifeless. "I'm sure you've been wondering how Cyborg's been here and yet you remember seeing him at your base. The simple answer is that he's been replaced with an expertly crafted clone, much like Atalanta's. I must admit I couldn't have done it without Dr. Pangalos' help."

"I am always glad to be of service," a somewhat snobbish, partially accented voice spoke up. From behind the strange device, a stocky man emerged wearing a large white lab coat and a pair of goggles. It was, they could only assume, be the Dr. Pangalos Slade spoke of. "Here my skills are being put to far better use than they ever could at that damned Wayne Enterprises. Those stuck-up businessmen could never understand the potential of what I have created here."

"Um…and what is it?" Cyborg asked as they all looked at the strange device.

"It, you simpleton, is a cognitive digitizer!"

"In English please," Robin remarked. "Not all of us have college degrees in insanity."

"This device is capable of scanning the human mind and creating a digital copy of it, which can be implanted into these bodies," the scientist explained before directing their attention back to the lifeless bodies in the tubes. They were all just mechanical clones and judging by the fact that two of the pods were empty, the device did what it was advertised to. "You have both already had the pleasure of being subjects to it, too bad you were both unconscious for it."

"With my own Cyborg to control, I was able to send my own agent right into your midst without you knowing it."

"A lot of good that will do you," Cyborg said confidently. "Your copy might've been able to fool the security system because I'm mostly machine but there's no way it'll mistaken a robotic Robin for the real thing."

"It will if your copy changes the security system. Remember, it has your mind controlling it – every memory and every thought process is under my control now."

"You might recognize the technology from a similar device in the Shades that can extract information out of a target's brain by tapping right into it. Of course, the portable version tends to leave the brain useless afterwards but that doesn't matter," Pangalos boasted further as he went back to working on his machines.

"Once I have your friends in my possession, the final phase of my plan can continue."

"And that is?" Robin inquired, though he was getting the feeling that this would be the end of Slade's 'generous' explanation.

"You'll figure it out soon enough," Slade coyly replied as he motioned for them to continue with their tour. Cyborg and Robin both felt like complete fools at this point. Slade had played the entire Titans like a stringed instrument and all because Slade knew them so well. He had played on their emotions and personal feelings to get the exact response he needed and then closed the trap in on them. With a Robin and Cyborg look-alike in the Titans Tower, there was no telling what kind of damage Slade could do. Robin only hoped that the others could figure out that it wasn't the real Robin or Cyborg before it was too late.

The final room that Slade led them to was the main control room that Slade used to communicate with all of his minions and allies across the country. The room was illuminated by the dozens of computer screens that stretched across the largest wall, most of the screens displaying various updates and reports from the Shades and generals in Jump City and Steel City. The three largest, however, showed a strange perspective from some unknown person. With a second look, Robin and Cyborg realized that each of the perspectives were from inside their own home and the names Atalanta, Robin, and Cyborg written on each screen from left to right verified that these were the perspectives of their replacements. The Robin replacement was already in the Tower, so casually striking up a conversation with Starfire that it made Robin almost sick to his stomach. This imposter could so easily ruin his entire relationships with Starfire, though it was a remote possibility since it had to maintain its cover. Still, the thought that an imposter could manipulate Starfire in so many different ways right now was aggravating enough on its own.

"I see you've brought the prisoners," the ever-familiar voice of Bellerophon spoke up as the general stepped into view. The metallic warrior leaned over to stare at Cyborg squarely in the eyes, emitting a low chuckle in the process. "You humans are so predictable. It was only a matter of time before you fell before the might of the Legion."

"This isn't over yet Bellerophon," Cyborg sneered.

"For you, I'm afraid it is." With no means to defend himself, Cyborg was unable to stop the sharp blow from Bellerophon's elbow straight into his gut. The painful blow dropped Cyborg to one knee, who only managed to stay on his feet because of the collar and poles that held him up.

"At least I don't beat up defenseless opponents…" Cyborg growled as he got back to his feet in defiance.

"At least I didn't get beaten by being wooed by a girl. You humans would follow your own penis off a cliff." A more powerful knee strike straight to the abdomen toppled Cyborg over this time, regardless of the hoplites' attempts to keep him on his feet.

"Could you stop pummeling my prisoners Bellerophon?" Slade politely requested. "We need to keep them alive just in case we need to replace any of our Titans."

"Very well Commander."

"As you can see Robin, I have already planted the seeds of destruction into your team. One by one you Titans will fall and once I have my own team of Titans put in place, there will be nothing that can stop me." Robin and Cyborg decided to hold their tongues for the moment. There was no point in having these stupid shouting matches with Slade. He had them right where he wanted and there was nothing Cyborg or Robin could do right now to stop him. All their hopes rested with those still free in Jump City. "Take them to the holding cells, there's no need to keep them chained to beds anymore."

--------------

Robin had been thrown into his own cell after being separated from his teammate. From the sounds he could hear before the cell door was slammed shut, Cyborg was merely in the next cell over, likely kept separated from Robin so they couldn't conspire to escape. For hours, Robin merely sat in the corner of his cell, his chained hands sitting idly in his lap as he waited for the cell door to open. Once again Slade had gotten the better of him. Everything had been so intricately woven together in this master plan that it was almost not surprising that it had gone off without a hitch. Right from the very start with the Adamantine Prison breakout, Slade was guiding the Titans along to their own doom…like sheep being led to the slaughterhouse.

It couldn't end like this though. Robin knew that this wasn't over yet. They had faced worse odds before, particularly against the Brotherhood of Evil. All they needed was a few heroes to survive Slade's assaults and plan a counter-attack…it was just a matter of them figuring out that Robin and Cyborg needed rescuing. Beast Boy was able to rescue the Titans and their allies from the Brotherhood of Evil with only a small team of heroes, surely Starfire and the others wouldn't have much trouble busting through lines of hoplites and centraurs in a rescue attempt. But how good was that impersonator? It couldn't be a perfect replica because otherwise it wouldn't follow Slade's orders…but if it had his knowledge then it would know how to keep a level head and act casual in even the more strenuous of situations.

"Come on Star…you have to realize it's not me," Robin muttered to himself as he continued to ponder his situation in the cell. With his hands contained with large metal blocks, he had no manual dexterity to free himself and without any visible keyhole, there was no chance of picking a lock…not that he had limbs to pick a lock with…or tools. His belt had already been confiscated and chances were Cyborg found himself in a similar situation.

In the back of Robin's mind, he also knew that Slade was still leaving a fair bit of his plan a mystery to the Titans. With an army like the Legion under his control, why would he go through the effort of capturing the Titans like this instead of just destroying them. Why didn't he take them he had them unconscious upon the first encounter with the Legion? Robin's only guess was that Slade needed to take each of the Titans without being detected and flying off with the Titans in the middle of the city would likely blow the cover of the imposters. Things still didn't make any sense though. Why did he need imposters for the Titans? Slade had to be planning something specific for them…but what?

Sometimes Robin wondered why he even bothered trying to figure Slade's plans out. It was only his determination and pride that kept Robin from giving up. One day he would be able to outsmart Slade at his own game…one day they would have the drop on him.

Robin's brooding was halted when he heard the door to his cell opening up. At first he was expecting another visit from Slade so he rose to his feet in preparation to put up as much of a fight as possible…but instead the semi-conscious body of his alien girlfriend was tossed inside. "Starfire!" Robin shouted as he raced to her side, completely ignoring the closing door. Robin's hope that Starfire would see through the imposter's charade was dashed at that point. "Come on Star, wake up!"

Gradually, the Tamaranean stirred back to life and those soft green eyes of hers gazed up at Robin with a puzzled look in them. "R-Robin? What…what's going on?"

"It's a long story," Robin sighed as he helped Starfire into a semi-sitting position against the wall. "Can you remember what happened?"

"I…I think so…" Starfire groaned as she paused to try and recollect the last thing on her mind.

_"Okay Star, I got a surprise for you but you've got to close your eyes for it first!"_

_"Oh! I love surprises! What is it?"_

_"Close your eyes."_

_"Okay."_

"I remember…you tell me that you had a surprise for me. When I closed my eyes as you asked, you sprayed some sort of smoke in my face. I…can't remember anything after that."

"That wasn't the real me," Robin explained. "I've been here for most of the day now…Slade captured me and sent an android replica back to the Tower. He's done the same to Cyborg as well."

"A few moments ago, I might've been a bit dazed but I thought I saw Beast Boy being carried by one of the machines as well," Starfire regretfully informed. If this were true, then the Titans had been reduced to one. Everything rested on Raven now and if anybody could figure out it wasn't the real Titans, it would be her. Robin just hoped that Raven would pay enough attention to the Titans to actually notice. "What is going on here?"

Robin took a few moments to try and briefly summarize everything that he had been told by Slade earlier – all the deceptions, the plans, schemes, and background to the Legion. Starfire was filled with the same sense of aggravation and disgust that Slade would use Atalanta to get close to the Titans as he had, using Cyborg's feelings as play things in the process. "That's awful…" Starfire muttered softly at the end, unable to sum up all the emotions into one sentence. "What are we going to do?"

"Can you break those bindings?" Robin asked, referring to the similar bindings that Starfire had on her hands and wrists. Starfire acknowledged by attempting to free herself from the bindings using her super strength. However, as much as she pulled, tugged, and smashed the bindings, they would not budge. Even her eyebeams failed to cut through the tough metal. A lingering thought in Robin's mind was that these heavy cuffs were made from the same nigh-invulnerable metal as Achilles armour.

"It is futile," Starfire sighed in defeat as she sat down against the wall next to Robin. "I'm…I'm actually worried…" Starfire admitted softly. It wasn't often that Starfire's confidence actually wavered, which just put further emphasis on the severity of the situation for Robin.

"It'll be okay," Robin tried to reassure, though with no plausible reasons to give her at the moment. "Raven will come through for us. I know she will."

"I hope you are right," Starfire said as she leaned her head against Robin's shoulder, shifting a it closer to him so she could keep warm in the cold, dark jail cell. Carefully, Robin put his linked arm around her shoulder, holding her close and trying to make the best of a bad situation. It wasn't just to keep her spirits up…but also his, which was beginning to waver under the gravity of the situation.

If Raven couldn't come through for them…Robin wasn't quite sure who would be able to.


	20. Chapter 19: Last Hopes

**Chapter Nineteen: Last Hopes**

**"Necrios valkamon frerious."** Raven chanted the incantations slowly and repeatedly as she sat, cross-legged, in the centre of a ring of lit candles. On the ground in front of her lay the staff that once belonged to the great demon lord, Napharak, who helped the Titans defeat Kronos more than six months ago. As her chants continued, the candles began to glow a little more brightly and the staff began to emit a gentle light from its crystal tip. Raven felt a soft breeze against her face as the magics began to take effect and when she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in her room but standing in the middle of a darkened, mist-covered field. "It worked…" Raven muttered to herself.

"I was wondering when you were going to get around to using that spell…" An ever-familiar voice echoed through the mists. Through the swirling clouds of unnatural origins, the silhouette of the one she had been looking for emerged. Of course, in this realm…that was all he was anymore: shadows and essence. For Raven was no longer in the realm of mortals and the living, she was in a place known as Z'hral Delthak, the land of the dead where the souls of the inhabitants of the demon realm of Daluram wandered for eternity. Standing before Raven was the demon that she had wanted to see again in so many months – Lord Napharak of the Balor clan.

"It's wasn't easy to find," Raven explained as the spirit of the former demon approached her. "I never really had reason to learn how to contact the dead before."

"Probably because nobody important enough to you has died before. Most people tend to avoid venturing to the dead realms such as this." Raven smiled softly at the sound of his voice – it had been such a long time since they had last spoken. Part of her hated him for what he had done, while the other part admired him for his other deeds. "You're looking well Raven. I'm assuming you've got a lot on your mind to say."

"Why'd you have to die Napharak?" It was the question that had lingered on the girls mind for more than six months – ever since Napharak sacrificed himself so that the Titans could defeat Kronos. There had been so many things that Raven had wanted to say before Napharak left her life but she never got a chance to say them because of what happened.

"Ah the immortal question – why? There's not much point debating the end results, especially when its something you can't change," Napharak answered, though his answer left Raven a little disappointed. "There's nothing that will make the loss any different, nothing will put you at ease. Nothing I say will give you back the time you spent mourning the loss of this monster."

"You weren't a monster Napharak…you made some bad choices but you had the right intentions and you're still the hero who saved an entire world from the wraith of Trigon."

"By sacrificing almost all of our armies in order to buy me time. Heroes save lives, I only wound up taking them. The decision of who lives and who dies was not mine to make and yet I did anyways. I only lived because I took the easy ways out…so this is fate's way of restoring order back to the cosmos."

Raven's head sank slowly. He was right in his own way but few would agree with him. For Raven, he would always be the symbol of hope that kept her going through those early years of her life. "I miss you…" she muttered softly.

"I will always be here for you Raven. If you ever need to talk you know how to contact."

"You don't mind?"

"I'm kind of dead – it's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Oh…right," Raven replied with a short-lived laugh.

"So…how's that Robin fellow doing?"

"Um, he's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I figured since you don't have a father figure in your life I'd be the first person you'd come to when you're having guy problems."

"What?" Raven exclaimed in shock, taken back by Napharak's rather up-front remarks. "First off, he's dating Starfire. Secondly, I'm not here to talk about him!"

"I see you haven't denied having feelings for him," the demon replied slyly.

"Er…I, I was getting to that," Raven stammered in her recovery attempt. However, her words couldn't hide the embarrassed flustering of her cheeks.

"Raven you will come across many people who you'll feel strong connections with but that never necessarily means you need to move things to the level you're thinking of. Infatuation comes and goes but a true friend of the heart will be something that shall last as long as the stars. Besides, there are plenty of fish in the sea. What about the green one?"

"Don't even joke about that…"

Napharak chuckled to himself as he shrugged his shoulders. "He has his moments, when he's not making disgusting bodily noises."

"Ah crap…"

"Um, did I say something wrong?"

"Somebody's knocking on my door."

"You should probably answer it…we can pick up this conversation whenever you feel like. Trust me when I say that I have plenty of time on my hands."

"Thanks Napharak…"

"Never lose hope Raven, don't you ever forget that."

--------------

"Hey Raven, you in?" A pounding upon her bedroom door stirred the young Titan out of her studies and the familiarity of Beast Boy's voice brought about a sense of foreboding in her. For a moment, she hoped if she ignored him long enough he would just wander off like he always had but after the fifth or sixth time, Raven's patience had reached its end. Slamming her book shut, Raven groaned in annoyance and cracked open the door just enough for the two Titans to stand face-to-face.

"What is it Beast Boy?" Raven asked, her irritation of being interrupted lacing every word of hers. Her hostility broke down the usual confidence in the green hero, who edged back slightly and attempted to maintain a calm composure in the face of his irritable and sometimes violent teammate.

"I…um, well…"

"Out with it!"

"I was…wondering if you wanted to hang out."

Raven raised an eyebrow in puzzlement at Beast Boy's request. Though the two were on friendly terms, 'hanging out' wasn't something that they did a great deal of, simply because of their differing ideas of what was 'fun' to do. There were times that the two found something to do together, such as the time after the defeat of Kronos six months ago. Beast Boy, in a rare case of maturity and understanding, wanted to learn more about Raven's interest in the chronicles of the great hero of Daluram, Napharak. Since Beast Boy couldn't read the demonic texts of Raven's books, she had to translate them for him and the two actually spent several hours together across multiple occasions as she read him the stories and tales of Napharak's exploits. It was a rare moment of bonding between the two of them and an even rarer moment for Beast Boy to better understand the enigmatic young girl that he called his friend and teammate. After having the stories read to him, Beast Boy could finally understand what Raven had seen in the demon when the Titans wound up on Daluram six months ago. The tales did portray him as a far more charismatic, valiant, and noble hero than he actually was. Heck, Beast Boy could even understand the mild infatuation Raven had for the demon, which explained why his death hit Raven as hard as it had. She still had the staff that Napharak left to her, which was had been placed back on its mount on the wall. It served as memento for Raven; reminding her that so long as hope remained, victory was always possible. It was a bit of a grim reminder, though it was far less grim that the memento that Robin collected from that day. The armor that Kronos wore was locked up in the evidence room along with the other items the Boy Wonder had collected during their adventures.

"Couldn't you bother somebody else?" Raven finally asked, settling down a bit.

"Well Cyborg is off flirting with Atalanta again and Starfire and Robin are doing 'you-know-what' as well."

"So that makes me your last choice…lucky me," Raven sarcastically replied, just about to shut the door when Beast Boy pressed the issue further.

"Aw c'mon! I'm so bored right now!"

"Then go play those stupid video games of yours."

"But I've already beaten all the good games, the only ones that are any fun right now are the two-player ones! Cyborg's too busy to even pick up the controller for one lousy round. Come on, you've got to help me out here! I'm about to start bouncing off the walls!"

"And how would I be able to help you? If you haven't forgotten we don't exactly share a lot in common when it comes to entertainment," Raven didn't like where Beast Boy was leading with this conversation, but she got that feeling almost every time Beast Boy opened his mouth.

"Just one round! Please! Cyborg hasn't had time to play video games with me in days. I'm already beginning to show the signs of video game withdrawal – lack of focus, disinterest in everyday activities, decreased energy…"

"Don't forget increased annoyance, though that isn't very far from your everyday behavior either."

"Pleeeeaaassseeeee."

This wasn't going to end well for Raven; that instinctive voice at the back of her head that always tells her when to make herself scarce was going off as usual. Beast Boy seemed to make that voice go off a lot though, so it was hard to tell when it was serious or not. "If I play one stupid round of your stupid video games, will you let me get back to what I was doing?"

"I promise!"

"Fine…" Raven figured there wasn't any easy way out of this, not when Beast Boy was bored and desperate. If she went along with it, it'd be like tearing off a band-aid – quick but painful. She reminded herself repeatedly as Beast Boy led her back to the living room that it was going to only be a sixty second interruption…tops. "You do realize that I've never picked up one of these things in my life." Her words didn't seem to stop Beast Boy from shoving one of the game controllers into her hands after the two sat down on the couch.

"It's really simple. You just press that button to punch, those two buttons are for light and strong attacks and…" The rate at which Beast Boy began to belt out commands and instructions to Ravens was more information that she had ever seen spill out of his mouth in such a short period of time. Since she didn't care too much about how to actually play the game, she simply ignored what he said and waited for him to get this ordeal over with. "You ready for the butt-kicking of your life?"

"If I said 'no', can I leave?"

"Nope!"

"Then can we just get this over with?" Beast Boy started up the game…one of those one-on-one fighter games that she saw Beast Boy play so many times in the past with Cyborg, though usually lost. When the match began, Raven didn't make much of an effort as she just a few of the buttons and watched her virtual character get throttled by Beast Boy. By the second round, Raven wasn't even bothering to push any of the useful buttons. Just as Raven had hoped, it was over and done with quickly – now she could go back to _her_ life. "There, you won. Congratulations. I'm going back to my room."

"You said you'd give me one round!"

"And I did. Our deal is finished."

"You didn't even play – you said you'd play one round."

"Why must you insist on continuing to bother?"

"Just actually try for a change…"

"Alright already, if it'll shut you up," Raven, who was halfway to leaving, plopped herself back onto the couch and picked up the piece of infernal technology. Beast Boy started up the next match quickly and this time around, Raven put in an effort to actually see what she could with this piece of electronics. Her character, a small purplish fighter that was dwarfed by Beast Boy's much larger one, danced around her opponent in eloquent evasions and jumps. The game wasn't that hard, Raven figured, and if Beast Boy could play it then Raven should be able to put up enough of an effort to satisfy him for the rest of the day.

As the matched progressed, lasting significantly longer than in Raven's first attempts, a few of the other Titans strolled into the living room and were surprised to see Raven playing the console with Beast Boy. Robin and Starfire stood behind the couch and watched the match continue with Raven surprisingly managing to hold her own against Beast Boy. "Um…what are you doing Raven?" Robin asked, referring primarily to the fact that Raven would normally never go near the gamestation.

"I'm trying to kick Beast Boy's butt, what's it look like?" Raven snipped in response.

"I have never seen you partake in the gaming of video," Starfire commented. "You appear to be winning as well."

"Only because I'm going easy on her," Beast Boy snapped as he tried to recover from another devastating attack from Raven's character.

"That's what you said after the first round," Raven said as her character delivered a fatal blow to her opponent, which reduced the green fighter to a pile of ashes. The conclusion of the match in Raven's favour was a surprise to everybody, including the now-entering Cyborg. "Heh, you know…that was actually kind of fun." Now Raven figured that such a remark would surprise her friends, Beast Boy in particular, but the only person that was going to be surprised was her. Being the only Teen Titan left, there was no need for deception and subtly, which was evident as Cyborg simply grabbed Raven in a tight bear hug and hoisted her off the couch. "What the heck? Cyborg what are you doing?" Raven grunted as she struggled against his grip with no success.

There was no answer though; none of the Titans had anything to say to her. Robin pulled out the small canister of knockout gas from his belt and began to spray the mist into Raven's face. "Azarath metrion zinthos." It was hard to get the incantations out without taking in small amounts of the fumes but she got her spell off and rapidly expanding orb of black energy knocked back the Titans and freed her from Cyborg's grip. "What has gotten into you guys?" Raven demanded as she tried to keep focused despite an increasingly spinning world.

"We didn't want to have to hurt you, but we will if we must," Robin answered grimly as he pulled out his staff. Raven wasn't going to bother trying to understand what had spurred such violent behavior in her friends, instead she knew she had to get out of there. "Get her! Before she-" Robin's attempts to prompt his team into action failed as Raven disappeared into the black mass of energy that took the form of a raven and rocketed upwards. "Dammit!"

Raven didn't stop until she reached the rooftops of the Tower, where she hoped the fresh air would be able to clear her mind from the building fog. She had taken in too much of the gas…it wasn't enough to knock her out but she had trouble standing and her mind felt numb. She had to lean up against a nearby railing just to keep her balance, trying to plot out her next move. It wouldn't take very long for the Titans to search the rooftops for her. Her only hope was to call for help and hope that they could get to the Tower in time. However, as soon as she pulled out her communicator, a green bolt of energy struck her hand, causing the communicator to fly over the railing.

"There is no one to help you now," Starfire spoke as she hovered across the rooftop towards Raven, a pair of starbolts ready to fire.

"Starfire – it's me, your friend. Why are you doing this?"

"The Legion seeks your removal, surrender and you will not be hurt."

Raven didn't waste any more time with chatter as she focused as much as her current condition would allow to and hurled several piece of rooftop equipment towards her 'former' teammate. Since she didn't know that the person she had just attacked wasn't the real Starfire, Raven was careful not to hurt her too badly, which made it easy for her opponent to shrug off the hits and continued advancing. The other Titans quickly joined Starfire on the roof, advancing on the obviously dazed Raven and backing her into a corner. There was no way she could take on all of them in her condition, which was now to the point where she was skeptical if she could fly straight.

"Give it up Raven, there's no where to run. Surrender and we won't hurt you," Robin threw out the proposition once more, though wasn't expecting Raven to actually accept it. She glanced between the Titans and down the side of the building with the vast Jump City bay below.

"Never give up hope…" Raven muttered to herself as she took one last look at her friends. Mustering all the strength she had left, Raven threw herself over the railing and began her free fall to the water below. _"Come on…levitate dammit…"_ The other Titans simply watched from above as she plummeted towards the water. A fall at this height, even into water, would be almost like crashing into cement. Just seconds before impact though, Raven finally managed to get her powers to work and she pulled up as hard as she could, skimming across the water at tremendous speeds. It was, unfortunately, too little too late as the arc of her trajectory took her straight into the bay water. At such high speeds, it felt like falling out of a speeding car as her body twisted in pain from the force of the impact. The first bounce was the most painful, with the second skip coming in as a close second. Thankfully, in a twisted sense, the third time Raven hit the water she had lost enough velocity that she was dragged beneath the surface.

"There's no way she could've survived that…" Cyborg sighed.

"Beast Boy and Starfire will go search just to be safe. I better report to Slade," Robin answered. "Cyborg, get everything prepared for tomorrow."

--------------

Survive was a relative term in Raven's mind. While it was good that she lived through the ordeal, she couldn't say the quality of her life was very good at this point. After having washed ashore several miles away from the Tower and safe from Beast Boy and Starfire's searching, Raven struggled just to get her face out of the sand. Her first attempt quickly revealed that something had broken in her rather spectacular crash – her collarbone judging by how her left arm hung limply at her side.

_"What the hell happened to my friends?"_ Raven thought as she crawled across the sand with her good arm and then propped herself up against a rock so that she tend to her injuries. On the bright side, the cold water helped clear her mind…that or the gas was beginning to wear off. Though still drowsy, she was able to focus her magic onto her injured shoulder and healed the injury slightly. The broken collarbone was reduced to a small fracture; not what she would like but at least she could move her arm enough to fix a sling for it, which she had to make out of her cloak.

As she fixed her sling, Raven continued trying to fathom how her friends could've turned against her like that. It was like a bad dream but the pain continued to remind her how true it was. Slade must've gotten to them all somehow…but when? Something was terribly wrong with her team and it was something far more sinister than any of the other times that the Titans had turned on each other. Once she felt that her injured arm had been immobilized, Raven staggered back to her feet and trekked into the city. It was starting to get late and Raven knew she would need to keep a low profile in the city if she were to stay safe. In her present condition, any two-bit thug who was feeling particularly lucky tonight would have a chance of doing some real damage to her.

Between the empty streets and ill-lit alleyways, Raven wasn't sure which would provide more security. There was more room to move in the streets but she was more likely to be spotted by somebody. The alleyways were easier to remain concealed but the narrow passages made it easy for the injured hero to be trapped. If she ran into one of the many criminals that were busted out of the Adamantine Prison, she'd be royally screwed. Raven eventually decided on hurrying through the streets, though she wasn't sure where she would go now. She needed to find somebody she could trust.

_"They're going to start searching the city when they don't find a body,"_ Raven mentally sighed as she continued deeper into the city. Maybe if she didn't stick out so much in a crowd she would have an easier time hiding in the city. Fortune smiled upon Raven that evening, for the first time in a long while, as she spotted a familiar face walking down the sidewalk. "Blackfire!" Raven called out and caught the young woman's attention. Needless to say, Blackfire was taken back by the sudden, and disheveled, appearance of the Teen Titan.

"By X'hal, what happened to you? Looks like you've been on the wrong end of a raging orthax," Blackfire commented, not realizing the severity of the situation right away.

"I don't have time to explain right now, I need you to take me back to your base," Raven explained in a hurry. "There's something terribly wrong with the Titans."

"Ah crap…" Blackfire groaned as she unwillingly got pulled back into the affairs of her sister's group. Saying 'no' would look bad for her though, so Blackfire agreed and carried Raven back home. It was a good thing that Blackfire was headed that way anyways or else she might've actually been inconvenienced by Raven's strange request.

--------------

"Well that's certainly unlike my sister to lash out like that…and believe me I've tried to provoke her in the past," Blackfire remarked once Raven finished explaining what had happened to her. Safe inside the confines of the former HIVE Five base, Raven was able to seek the help from Blackfire, Jinx, and Kid Flash, who had been staying at the base for the past several days. Blackfire didn't show much interest in the problem but Jinx and Kid Flash were intrigued by what this could mean.

"The Legion got to them somehow…I don't know what they did to them but the Titans aren't acting like themselves," Raven added, still trying to wrap her mind around the possibilities.

"We shouldn't worry about the how right now," Kid Flash said, keeping things in focus and prioritizing their goals. "What we need to do is figure out what they're going to do next and how we can help them."

"Raven wasn't able to talk them out of it, I don't think we're going to be able to 'help' them until we actually stop them," Jinx said reluctantly, folding her arms across her chest and sitting on the armrest of the couch. "What could the Legion possibly need with the Titans? Their generals were pretty powerful on their own…"

"Probably because they need something done that couldn't be accomplished with the sight of giant robots. I'd say something involving high security," Blackfire commented, still not really caring about the situation but throwing her advice since she figured they wouldn't figure it out on their own. Sitting at the opposite side of the couch, Blackfire continued flipping through the pages of the newspaper and absent-mindedly listening in on the conversation going on around her. The others, though not appreciating her lack of interest, nodded their heads in agreement – the Titans must be able to accomplish something that the Legion wouldn't be able to do.

"High security…what could be important enough that they need the Titans and not an army of machines…" Jinx pondered to herself. "Steal something maybe?"

"Think less property and more people," Blackfire advised once again. The others were beginning to be irritated by Blackfire's attitude, since she clearly knew something that she wasn't telling the others for one reason or another. "Think of something very, very important that involves important people that would have lots of security."

"Blackfire, just tell us what you think it is and stop with these stupid games," Jinx said as she was fed up with Blackfire's behavior. The Tamaranean sighed and rolled her eyes before folding up her paper and showing them the page that was reading moments ago.

"It's called a G8 Summit meeting. I'm not sure what it involves but its got eight very important world leaders meeting in one building here in Jump City tomorrow and I can imagine that the Titans would have no problem bypassing security with their prestige." Everybody in the room just gazed in awe-struck silence at the image and just how perfect Blackfire's suggestion fit into the situation. "I'm not sure how things work on this planet, but imagine the political vacuum blowing all these folks up would create."

There were indistinct murmurs amongst the heroes, who could only just imagine the kind of chaos that could result from it. Raven, however, saw a much bigger picture at work here. "It would ruin more than just the political landscape," Raven said calmly, as if just finally piecing things together. "It would ruin our reputations forever."

"Our reputation?" Jinx asked.

"You, me, the Titans…everybody with some sort of super power would have this stigma lingering over them forever. Not only would the political vacuum be destructive, the fallout of these actions on all metahumans would be astronomical. Remember what Kronos came back to our time to do?"

"Destroy the Titans wasn't it?"

"No, he wanted all metahumans dead, though especially the Titans. What if…what _if_ the Titans killing the world leaders was the critical event that Kronos was aiming to prevent? What if this is the thing that he blamed for leading to the downfall of all mankind? We know the Legion's behind it, but the history books will record it as the Titans turning on humanity."

"My god…that kind of tarnishing event could spark a war," Kid Flash gasped.

"Between humans metahumans...now imagine the kind of damage that could do," Raven said grimly. "We're looking at the turning point of humanity here. If that war was great enough, it could leave the world in such shambles that Slade could march right in and take over as much as he wanted."

"I guess we know what this means," Jinx sighed lightly. "We've got to stop the Titans before they destroy everything."

"I hope you three realize that you might need to do more than stop the Titans…" Blackfire added in a very serious tone, her brow furrowed in determination. "You might need to _kill_ the Teen Titans."


	21. Chapter 20: Return to Heroism

**Chapter Twenty: Return to Heroism**

**"Kill them?** You can't be serious Blackfire!" Kid Flash immediately exclaimed upon the recommendation of the Tamaranean. "There has to be a better solution than that. There has to be some way to undo whatever the heck happened to them to make them act this way."

"And to undo that we'd have to figure out what happened to them in the first place and that would take time," Blackfire sternly answered in her common, smarter-than-thou attitude. "Maybe you weren't paying attention twenty seconds ago but if the G8 is what they're targeting, which I'm willing to be a lot of money on, we've only got a matter of hours to solve this problem. If you can figure out what's gotten into the Titans by then you're more than welcomed to try and fix the problem there. However, when the time comes between protecting those politicians and protecting your former friends, you'll have to stop the Titans."

"Then we'll go to that meeting, protect the politicians, and then figure out what wrong with the Titans," Kid Flash insisted, refusing to give up on his friends.

"You think Slade's just going to give up after that? He'll keep using those Titans until they're stopped and every second wasted trying to figure out what's wrong is another second they could do some serious damage. Right now they're the enemies and it's either them or the city!"

"You're just pushing this option cause you want to get rid of Starfire, don't you?" Jinx and Raven watched nervously as the argument began to heat up between the other two.

"How dare you insinuate that!" Blackfire's eyes began to glow, which was always a surefire way to tell when she was really starting to get peeved. "If I really wanted to get rid of my sister, you think I would've gotten myself impaled protecting her from Kronos?"

"Just cause you're not out to get her anymore doesn't mean you're not a criminal anymore. Maybe you were just waiting for an ideal opportunity to get somebody else to do the dirty work for you cause you know you wouldn't be able to do it yourself!"

"Why I ought to-"

"Shut it both of you!" Jinx shouted at the top of her lungs, immediately halting both of the teenagers in their tracks. Both of them folded their arms across their chest and turned to face opposite directions – an improvement over the shouting at least. "We have more important things to be worrying about right now, so could you quit acting like a bunch of morons?"

"Don't look at me, the goodie-goodie was the one who started it," Blackfire grumbled.

"Right…except you're the callous one who's immediately jumping to the worst possible solution," Kid Flash immediately snapped back.

"Hot-headed ass!"

"Self-centered bitch!" The situation degraded rapidly with the two teens facing each other again, growling and gritting their teeth angrily at one another. Once again, Jinx had to step in and do something before they wound up knocking each other senseless. Literally stepping between the two, Jinx pushed them apart and made her annoyance evident to them.

"Next one to say something is going to be digging my foot out of their ass, got it?" Jinx warned harshly. "We're not going to be killing anybody so unless you're willing to actually try and be constructive, you should just leave us _heroes_ to deal with the problem." Heeding Jinx's advice, Blackfire merely shot a harsh glare at the three before storming out of the room. This wasn't the end that Jinx was hoping for but if Blackfire wasn't interested in helping, then it was up to Jinx, Raven, and Kid Flash to figure out a solution.

"Maybe we should call for help," Kid Flash suggested, now that their number of healthy and willing bodies was down to two. It was a long shot; especially since there were few close enough to be of much assistance.

"They'll be monitoring the airwaves," Raven reminded him. "Sending for backup could make things worse. If they lose their perceived element of surprise, they might just opt for a full-out assault. If you took them by surprise, you might just be able to stop what they're planning." Another long shot but it sounded better than waiting for the cavalry, who might not even be able to reach Jump City in time. Besides, they didn't know how far Slade's influence stretched. The Titans might not be the only ones under the Legion's control. "I'm not really in fighting condition so you're going to be outnumbered at least two-to-one."

"We're really starting to get in over our heads here," Jinx sighed reluctantly. Sure she had taken on the Titans before but that was as a member of a team she was familiar with. She had fought alongside Kid Flash only on a few occasion and even when outnumbered the Titans always prevailed.

"You need to bring Blackfire back Jinx," Raven instructed.

"But she doesn't even care."

"You're going to need all the help you can get and if you haven't noticed, neither of you are known for your durability. You'll need somebody who can withstand Cyborg and Starfire's heightened strength."

"Fine, I'll see what I can do. The girl is stubborn as all hell though."

"Blackfire just doesn't want to admit that she's unnerved by the thought of having to fight her sister after everything she had gone through," Raven explained. "She wants to keep up the image that she's independent from her sister but the truth is she cares about her a great deal now, much more than six months ago. Just talk to her – she holds you in higher regards than you might think."

"If I'm not back in ten minutes, assume the worst," Jinx muttered as she went after Blackfire. Knowing Blackfire, Jinx headed straight for the rooftops where she found Blackfire staring up at the emerging stars on her back. Blackfire tried to pay no attention to her approaching friend, but once Jinx was standing next to her, her gaze drifted over to make eye contact.

"I assume Raven sent you to try and talk me back into helping you guys out," Blackfire rhetorically stated as she looked back to the stars. As her arms tucked under her head for support, Jinx took a seat on the ground beside her. "You do know even with me it's going to be a tough fight."

"I thought you liked challenges," Jinx said, smiling ever so slightly as to keep the atmosphere relaxed. "Kid Flash and I are going to try and stop the Titans with or without your help. It's probably suicide but there's not much else we can do except try. With your help though, we might actually stand a chance against them."

"I don't know…this isn't really my fight. I mean who are we to mess with the timeline?"

"I think it's safe to say that the timeline has already been screwed up thanks to Kronos' interference and if it weren't for him you'd probably still be wandering the cosmos without a goal in life," Jinx reminded her, which made Blackfire frown for a moment. "You know, it's a quite a coincidence all this. If it weren't for Kronos you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be able to help us stop the Titans."

"Now who said I was going to help you?"

"Come on, I think I know you well enough to tell that you were going to help even before you stormed off in a huff. You just don't like the idea of having to fight your own sister."

Blackfire just glared at the sly smirk across Jinx's face before sighing in defeat. "Even after escaping Daluram and defeating Kronos, a part of me couldn't let go of the resentment I still held for her. I left so I could have some time to myself and hopefully get those feelings out of my mind. Part of me is still…at odds with her and what she did and failed to do all those years ago. If I go fight her now…I don't know if I'll be able to fight with the same level of ferocity compared to a year ago or if it were someone else."

"Then don't fight her, let me or Kid Flash handle her and you can take some of the other Titans."

"That's an even worse idea. Starfire would mop the floor with you and I don't see how Kid Flash would be able to do anything against that flying tank." Blackfire's lack of confidence in her friends was about as inspiring as a funeral march, not to mention almost insulting.

"Then do something about it," Jinx insisted bitterly. "You had no problem playing hero when it came to fighting Kronos."

"That was because I wanted payback – I was doing it for myself."

"And the whole 'protecting your sister' thing?"

"Cause she deserved to live through it more than I do," Blackfire said softly. "She's the hero; not me."

"Then here's your chance to show you can be a hero – you might not be able to beat your sister in a one-on-one fight but you can beat her at her own game."

Jinx's words lingered in Blackfire's mind, slowly gnawing away at her doubts and worries. After a long, and rather awkward, silence, Blackfire finally grinned slyly to her friend. "Let's go save the day, shall we?"

--------------

"It certainly looks like the place – there's more armed police and guards than the Centauri 3 and that was a prison planet," Blackfire commented as she peered through the pair of binoculars at the massive, crowded building in the distance. A relatively short building, its long and narrow design had the building covering several blocks along its primary axis while only taking up a few blocks laterally. With the exception of a single, small tower extending out of the center of the building, it was a fairly block-like structure surrounded by a high iron fence with a large checkpoint at the front gates. As usual with these meetings, there were a huge number of protesters outside the gates, exercising their right to demonstrate and protest the governments that were gathering in that lone building.

"I get the impression they're not going to just let us march right in," Kid Flash remarked while scanning the crowds for any signs of the Titans.

"And to make matters worse they're probably keeping an eye out for people like us, so they've probably got every angle of entry covered," Jinx added as she simply waited for Blackfire to hand over the binoculars. "If we move in too soon, we'll sound an alarm and the Titans might panic. We need to strike just before the Titans do."

"Are you absolutely certain that this would be the target?" Kid Flash asked to confirm one last time. "I mean…to attack in broad daylight like this."

"There are a lot of things here that don't make much sense," Blackfire answered. "None of which changes the fact that we're going to have eight dead politicians unless we do something. I can't believe I'm sticking my neck out to save some bloody politicians…"

"This is more than just for a few lives Blackfire, this could very well alter the course of history." Jinx's reminder put everything back into focus for Blackfire. She just had to keep reminding herself about the bigger picture here and it would help push aside her concerns for the present. If they got this out of the way, then Blackfire could at least say that the injuries she suffered on Daluram had a bigger purpose to it.

"How exactly are we going to figure out when to move in?" Kid Flash had a valid point, though the point was moot as seconds later several windows on the side of the building shattered from what appeared to be a concussive force from inside. The entire world seemed to grind to a halt as the realization of what might be happening sank into every mind there. For the three young heroes, though, the only thought running through their mind was 'go'.

"Ah dammit!" Blackfire cursed as she grabbed Jinx and took to the sky while Kid Flash approached the building on foot. Additional blasts coming from inside the building sparked a huge commotion amongst the protesters and riot police, who both thought the other side had become violent. The riot was not Blackfire's concern though. A skylight made an ideal entry point for the two, which Blackfire quickly blasted to remove the obstacle. "Any idea where they might be?"

"It was a top floor window," Kid Flash said as he arrived to the scene. "Ten bucks says those doors over there." The doors that Kid Flash pointed to burst open just seconds after his sentence finished with several unconscious bodies scattering across the ground, including one familiar one.

"Jacqueline!" Blackfire gasped when she recognized the French heroine lying semi-conscious on the ground.

"Ze…Titans…" Jacqueline groaned as she looked up to the three familiar faces. "Zey've…"

"Yeah, we know. Shut up," Blackfire said in a hurry as the trio hurried into the conference room. Though late, they were in time to still find all the politicians in one piece, though the Titans were making short work of the bodyguards and other, lesser diplomats. "Kid Flash, get the important guys out of here. Jinx and I will keep the Titans busy until you're done." Her companions nodded in agreement and rushed into action with Blackfire charging out front. The Titans, so caught up in their own mission, didn't notice the oncoming assault until it was too late with Blackfire ramming into Starfire and taking her sister straight through the nearby wall. "You can't imagine how long I've wanted to do that sis," Blackfire taunted as her sister lay atop a small pile of rubble.

However, Robin had pursued after Blackfire and delivered a swift drop kick straight into her back that sent her sprawling on the ground. "Probably about as long as I've wanted to do that."

"I am going to wipe that smug grin right off your face," Blackfire growled as she rose to her feet and readied herself for battle. Regrettably, she found herself in a bad position being flanked on both sides by Robin and Starfire in a tightly confined room. Hopefully all those years of training would finally pay off for her. Not wanting to waste any more time mincing words, Blackfire rushed towards Robin with her fists swinging. The two martial artists quickly exchanged jabs, kicks, elbows, knees, and punches with successful parrying on both parts until Blackfire managed to overpower the Titans leader and drove her shoulder straight into him. The impact sent Robin flying back into the other room where Jinx was currently handling Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Cartwheeling and somersaulting along the perimeter of the room, Jinx pushed her acrobatics to their limits to avoid Cyborg's barrage of energy blasts. During a flip through the air, Jinx focused her magic on the floor that Cyborg stood upon, causing it to collapse under his weight and sending the Titan to the next floor down. Her troubles weren't over yet, though, as a green gorilla was next to test her mettle. The slow, cumbersome beast was no match for Jinx's agility but her lack of physical strength would do little against the massive animal. As she ducked and weaved past strikes from his claws, Jinx repeatedly struck back with multiple blasts of her magic. With little time to conjure up more powerful spells, it was hard to deal much damage to the lumbering grizzly, but most creatures would respond the same way to a kick right in the face. However, she underestimated Beast Boy's reaction and as she jumped into the air to strike, Jinx was plucked out of the air and slammed right into the ground.

"Enough of this," Jinx grunted as she cast her magic upon the ceiling, hoping something large and heavy ran through it. Lucky for her, a large cast iron pipe ran through the ceiling, which lost part of its support and swung down to nail Beast Boy squarely in the face. Just as Jinx was about to get up, though, two metallic arms burst through the floor around and wrapped tightly around her body. She didn't even have enough time to scream as she pulled through the floor by Cyborg.

Meanwhile, in the next room over, Starfire and Blackfire were entangled in the heat of battle. Starfire was attacking far more aggressively than Blackfire remembered and since she didn't want to hurt her sister too badly, it was hard to press the attack against such an onslaught. Being pushed back to the walls, Blackfire was running out of places to move and if she was going to win, she had to strike back…very, very hard. Blackfire quickly ducked under a powerful swing from her sister and rose with a stunning elbow strike into her sister's abdomen. With Starfire dazed, Blackfire grabbed hold of her sister and flung her straight into the oncoming Robin. She followed her attack with a few, well-aimed and low-powered starbolts in hopes that it would be enough to knock them out of the fight.

"There, that wasn't so hard," Blackfire sighed in relief as she wiped some sweat off her brow. She could hear Jinx's fighting raging on below and before she even decided to go down to help, the floor beneath suddenly gave way and Blackfire plummeted to the next floor. "Watch where you're casting that magic!" Blackfire groaned after landing on the pile of rubble.

"Sorry about that," Jinx apologized. "You might want to move."

"Why's that?" Jinx didn't need to answer her friend's question though. The rubble exploded from below, propelling Blackfire across the room as Cyborg emerged from the debris. The two fighters stood back to back as the Titans moved to surround them.

"What the hell is taking Kid Flash so long?" Jinx grumbled. Just as the Titans began to rush on the surrounded heroes, a yellow blur cut in past them and whisked the two girls out of the path of the onslaught. To no surprise, it was Kid Flash…

"It's about time you got here," Jinx remarked as the trio regrouped on the opposite side of the room as the Titans.

"I figured you'd know by now, but I'm always right on time."

"Okay, I'll handle Cyborg and Starfire; Jinx can handle Beast Boy, and Kid Flash will take Robin."

"Who died and made you boss?" Kid Flash muttered.

"Fine, don't listen to me. Let's just get them!" There wasn't much need for a plan when it came to such a massive brawl. The two opposing forces charged with all their might to settle this match once and for all. Kid Flash drew the first blood, figuratively speaking, as he zigzagged past a volley of Robin's explosive discs to deliver a solid uppercut to the Boy Wonder. Blackfire and Starfire collided in mid-air with the younger sister actually knocking the other to the ground in the scuffle. Blackfire was the first to fire off her eyebeams, launching her sister into the ceiling. It was a short-lived victory as Beast Boy targeted Blackfire as well, transforming into a mountain goat and ramming her straight in the back. As Jinx closed in on Cyborg, she sent a wave of magic across the floor, creating several explosions that he was able to jump over easily and counter-attack with a shot from his sonic cannon. His attack was no more successful though as Jinx backflipped out of the way. However, Cyborg managed to land close enough to Jinx that she wasn't able to evade his shoulder check.

"You'll pay for that," Jinx grumbled after she was knocked flat on her back.

"Heh, maybe when pigs fly," Cyborg quipped as he aimed his sonic cannon. Now it wasn't a pig, but the green boar that was thrown into Cyborg fulfilled Jinx's threat enough to satisfy her.

"Nice throw."

"No problem," Blackfire said as she grinned triumphantly for a moment before returning to the battle.

"Incoming!" Kid Flash shouted as he came flying across the room towards the elder Tamaranean. Thankfully he had given enough warning for Blackfire to brace herself when she caught her comrade. "Nice catch…"

"Shut up and get back to work," Blackfire replied coldly as she tossed him to the side so that she could launch her own attack on Robin. Armed with his bo staff, Robin was able to strike first with a hard downward swing. She had to land in order to block the attack and reverted back to a more Earthen method of fight as blocked and parried Robin's flurry of strikes. Meanwhile, Kid Flash was literally running rings around Starfire, who was desperately trying to land a hit with her starbolts. Everyone knew that once Kid Flash started running that there was little chance of scoring a hit but he couldn't win by dodging alone. Jumping off the wall to get some height, Kid Flash tackled Starfire out of the air and brought her back to the ground. Cyborg was looking for Starfire though and he was easily able to pull Kid Flash off of her and start tossing the hero around the room. Despite Kid Flash's affinity for speedy travel, being thrown into walls was not his preferred method of movement.

"A little help here!" Kid Flash grunted as he picked up again and given another toss across the room. Starfire joined in on 'toss the Kid Flash', giving him no time to recover after each impact.

"Kinda busy!" Jinx shouted back, attempting to fight off the octopus tentacles that were wrapping around her body. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something she could use to free herself. A knocked-over fire extinguisher lay on the ground nearby and luckily positioned just the way she needed it. It was a long shot but luck was something that Jinx considered herself an expert on. Blasting the fire extinguisher with her magic, the canister of compressed gases rocketed towards the pair. Regrettably, her aim was slightly off and instead of the canister striking Beast Boy, it hit her instead. On the bright side at least it got the two separated. "Well at least I can help Kid Flash now…"

Jinx wouldn't need to though as Kid Flash was on his way to her…flying through the air at high speeds though. The two heroes collided and bounced across the floor until coming to a rest at the far wall.

A short distance away, Blackfire was still having trouble dealing with Robin and his bo staff. His advantage of range was preventing her from getting any solid hits in. She was a determined one though and no obstacle was too great for her. If she couldn't get past the bo staff, she might as well use it to her own advantage. After waiting for the right swing, Blackfire intercepted Robin's strike with both clamping firmly around the shaft and with her alien strength she wrenched the weapon away from him. "How do you like it?" she shouted angrily as she swung the staff as hard as she could and knocked Robin far away from her. Twirling the staff in one hand, she turned her attention to the other Titans and repeated the process. One by one, Blackfire effortlessly batted her opponents aside, though the last blow against Cyborg was so forceful that the bo staff shattered into piece immediately afterwards.

Much to her surprise, the Titans seemed, for the most part, unfazed by her powerful attacks. Each of them rose back to their as easily as the next, which made no sense considering their varying levels of endurance.

"Sonic boom?" Cyborg suggested Robin as he armed his cannon.

"I'll bring the boom if you've got the sonic."

"I don't like the sound of that…" Blackfire muttered, starting to feel at odds in this four-on-one fight. Her hopes that her teammates would come to her aid weren't going to happen, as Jinx and Kid Flash were just beginning to get back up after their painful collision moments ago. They didn't even get to take a step before Blackfire was sent hurtling towards them, bowling them both over in yet another collision.

"Ugh…that's frigging twice now…" Jinx groaned in pain from underneath Blackfire. The trio's attention was drawn to the advancing Cyborg and Robin, who crossed paths and then sprang off the walls for a second crossing before unleashing their joint attack – the infamous Sonic Boom.

"This is going to hurt…" Those were the only words Blackfire managed to get off before the sonic cannon and explosive disc combo turned their world into one of blinding pain. The explosive engulfed the entire room, leaving one huge smoldering crater in the center of the building with rubble continuing to collapse into the center. When the smoke finally cleared, all that the Titans could see of their opponents was one large pile of concrete and steel.

"We need to regroup and contact the Legion," Robin said calmly as the Titans gathered together. "They're not going to be happy with this."

"We'll have to go to plan B," Cyborg nodded in agreement.


	22. Chapter 21: Can we Call for Help Now?

**Chapter Twenty-One: Can We Call for Help Now?**

**"I think Blackfire's finally starting to come around?"** The voices were still feint in the Tamaranean's ears but she could hear the key points in order to determine the message. Her mind and body still felt sore from the battle to the point where she didn't even want to make any conscious efforts at the moment. "Hey Blackfire, can you hear me?" The second time the voice spoke, she finally recognized it as belonging to Raven, which just made no sense. The last thing Blackfire could remember was Robin and Cyborg unleashing opening a can of whoop-ass on her and her friends in a fight that Raven wasn't a part of. Curiosity overwhelmed her desire to rest as he forced her eyes open and saw Raven and Jacqueline staring down at her. Almost immediately Blackfire realized that she was no longer where she once was but was back at her home.

"What the…how did I get here?" Blackfire groaned as she slowly sat up on the couch.

"Well, after the Titans finished beating the living daylights out of you, they high-tailed it out of the area," Raven answered. "I was watching the whole thing on the news so when the Titans I went in to get you guys before the authorities could find you." As Blackfire took in her surroundings, she saw Kid Flash and Jinx resting on the other couches in the room both of who were just in as bad of shape as she was. "I brought Jacqueline here as well since I figured you could use all the extra help you can get." Those last few words smoldered bitterly in Blackfire's mind. It was bad enough having to admit that she just got her ass tenderized, spiced, sautéed, and then served to her on a silver platter but now she had to admit to Raven and the others that they really did need some extra help.

"I can't believe I still couldn't beat them," Blackfire groaned disappointedly under her breath. Even after all her extra training that she had prided herself on so much, she still lost to the Titans. She couldn't beat her sister. "We took them by surprise, we weren't outnumbered by much, and we still lost."

"Not quite," Raven said reassuringly. "Because of you and Jinx, Kid Flash was able to evacuate the eight world leaders from the building. You might have lost the fight but you won the battle and that's what's important." Blackfire didn't feel too comforted by Raven's words, despite how true they were. For the Tamaranean, a half-victory wasn't enough and losing the fight was another failure in her rivalry with her sister. Jinx might've convinced Blackfire to tag along with the 'beat Starfire at her own game' but Blackfire knew that only a victory in direct combat with her sister would she be able to actually claim victory and heal that wounded pride she had been carrying around for so long.

"So what do we do now?" Jinx asked as she joined in on the conversation. "We might have stopped them today but the Legion is going to have them cause more trouble unless we put a stop to them."

"And they've probably figured out that I was the one who tipped you off about them," Raven added. "The Legion will likely come after us now and it won't take them very long to find this base. If we're going to do something, we need to do it fast."

"If you haven't noticed Raven, none of us are exactly in the best of conditions to fight," Blackfire spoke with a bit of hostility in her tone. The others knew it was simply because Blackfire was still bitter over the loss, so they took no offense to her temper. Slowly, the Tamaranean peeled herself off the couch, cradling a sore arm close to her chest, and did a slow march out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Jacqueline asked.

"To do something we should've done from the start," Blackfire answered reluctantly. "Going to let a professional handle this."

When Blackfire left, the remaining heroes donned a concerned look during the period of silence. They all knew Blackfire reasonably well and knew that she had never been one to give up…at least until now. Had the defeat hit Blackfire that hard? Out of all the people in the room, Blackfire was the last person they thought would be unnerved by the loss but none of them could really understand the perspective of a Tamaranean. With nobody certain of what to do next, Jinx decided to take charge of the situation and hopefully pull her friend out of a spiraling depression. "Kid Flash and Jacqueline, stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll see about Blackfire."

The other heroes nodded in acknowledgment before Jinx bolted after her friend, curious as to what Blackfire had in mind. It took some time to find the Tamaranean this time around, who didn't go to the rooftops for a change. Instead, Jinx found Blackfire in the garage, starting up one of the HIVE's automobiles…or at least trying to start one.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jinx shouted as she raced over to the car.

"I'm borrowing one of your cars, I figured since you've got a dozen of them you wouldn't mind." Blackfire's voice was sullen and lacked that spark of theatrics that had always made Blackfire's voice distinct, which worried Jinx further.

"You don't know how to drive!"

"I've watched you drive a dozen times. How hard could it be?"

"You don't even have the keys."

"Stupid earth machines…"

"Get out of the car Blackfire," Jinx said softly, to which her friend quietly complied. "Listen Black, I know you're upset that you lost a fight…but these things happen. I've gotten my butt kicked by the Titans plenty of times and I haven't let it get to me once."

"And how do you feel about this loss?"

"I'm annoyed as all hell but I'm not going to be all gloomy about it. You think I'm any happier about losing? I joined the good guys so I could stop being on the losing side and actually be something…and even after all this time I'm still a nobody!"

"Jinx…you wake up everyday trying to prove something you don't need to. None of those people back there ever doubted your abilities…they never questioned your strength. They know you're a great fighter and you've got the makings of a great hero. The only person that needs to realize that is you. I'm not like you though – I've always had to defend myself. I've had to go through every day of my life knowing that my every action would be used to defend or add to the already pile of evidence of how inferior I was to my sister."

"My god, are you still hung up on that? You are not – I repeated _not_ – inferior to your sister. I would a thousand times much rather have you fighting by my side than your sister cause when you fight you put every ounce of your heart and soul into it! You don't let yourself get bogged down by things like politics and morals, you live for that fight and every second of it is when you feel the most alive. You fight for what you believe in and you don't stop until you've won or your soul's left this mortal coil."

"What's your point?"

"My point is, you might never be the better fighter but you have and you always will have a warrior's spirit beyond reproach. Skills come and go as you age but that spirit will burn with you until the day you die."

"You…really think that way about me?"

"You're not on Tamaran anymore, you're among friends on this planet."

"I guess I still have a lot to learn about this planet," Blackfire said as she finally managed a weak smile to her friend.

"So…who exactly were you thinking of getting help from?"

"I figured our best bet would be to get the other Titans, the ones from the East coast."

"You think we can get there fast enough?"

"With how you drive, definitely."

"I always was a fan of road trips," Jinx laughed lightly before the two heroes climbed in and buckled up for a long drive.

--------------

"In response to the recent attack on the G8 summit, scores of politicians have begun pressing what has been collectively referred to as 'Anti-Metahuman' measures. In both North America and across Europe, these bills, laws, and motions have been gaining popularity while opponents have been calling this an over-reaction that will increase tensions in an already controversial topic."

"Can we please change the radio station?" Blackfire complained as the two listened to yet another report on the fallout of the G8 fiasco that was still fresh on everybody's mind. All the news stations were talking about it and one couldn't take ten steps in any direction without seeing or hearing something about it. It was no surprise though, the sudden actions of an seemingly renegade Teen Titans had the whole world questioning the actions of its super-powered protectors. If you couldn't trust the Titans, whom could you trust? Thankfully for Blackfire and her friends, their names managed to escape the headlines so they didn't have to worry about any fallout from their actions…yet.

"You can either keep it on this or turn it off cause we're not going to find anything else," Jinx explained as the car sped down the highway. "You can turn it off but then you're going to have to start talking so we don't get bored in the silence."

"Are we going to talk about this mess of a situation we've gotten ourselves into?"

"Probably."

"If that's the case then I'll pass on the talking." Blackfire rested her head upon the palm of her hand, staring out the window as the world sped by.

"Well, we could talk about this mystery man of yours. You've gone out a half-dozen times in the past several days and I've still never gotten a straight answer out of you. Who is he and, more importantly, when do I get to meet him?"

Blackfire couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at Jinx's curiosity. "You sounded like Starfire back there," Blackfire answered as she leaned back in her soft leather seat. "Maybe I should be asking likewise of your dating status. Somebody's been leaving you flowers and chocolates."

"Heh…I thought I kept those hidden," Jinx chuckled embarrassingly.

"Tell him to get more of those ones that come in the white square box."

"So that's why he kept saying he left me four boxes…"

"Come on Jinx, fess up! It's Kid Flash isn't it? He's always there when I come back home from my dates."

"I'll only tell if you tell."

"You drive a hard bargain. Alright, his name's Red X and aside from being a human he's everything I could've wanted in a man."

"Wait a second, did you just say Red X? The master thief Red X?"

"Yup," Blackfire said proudly. "We bumped into each other one night and…well, I don't want to say something naïve like it was love at first sight but sparks definitely were flying."

"I thought there was an extra bounce in your steps," Jinx smirked playfully. "To answer your question though, you're right…I've been seeing Kid Flash for a couple of days now. What can I say? He's a charmer."

"I never would've pegged you as the kind to go for the 'boy scout' kind of guy," Blackfire remarked, returning Jinx's smirk with a clever grin. "You should've stayed as a villainess, it would've made things more interesting between the two of you."

The conversation, as interesting as it was, didn't have much more time to continue as the red sports car pulled up to their destination. Unlike the other tower in the west, the Titans East Tower faced the water, so the two friends had parked their car at the top, which was ground level with the rest of the city, and prepared for the trek down the cliff face. It was hard to deny that it was a magnificent view of the ocean from the top of the cliffs but unfortunately there was no time to stand around and admire it. Blackfire thought it was a bit unusual to have a tower that faced away from the city as this one did but one couldn't argue that there wasn't a lot of room in Steel City to build something of that size. "I'd seriously have to wonder why five people would need something that big."

"Our place isn't that much smaller," Jinx retorted.

"Yeah but I used to be royalty so giant homes were a commonplace for me."

"Maybe they're overcompensating for something," Jinx laughed.

"Are you kidding? If you want overcompensating, take a look at Robin's crotch rocket. Like he's really impressing anybody with that thing." Blackfire grabbed Jinx by the wrists and the two flew down to the base of the Tower with the hope that the Titans East would be able to lend them their expertise and skills in stopping the Titans. Just as Blackfire was about to knock on what she figured was their front door, it suddenly opened up on its own. They both figured the Titans East were expecting them, or saw them on their way down, and had opened the door for them…but a part of them were feeling a bit suspicious as there was nobody at the door to greet them. With little other choice, Blackfire and Jinx ventured into the Tower to try and track down any of the Titans East members.

"Do you think they might be expecting us?" Jinx asked as the two wandered down empty halls. Though clichéd, it was quiet…too quiet.

"Unless they're planning to throw us a surprise party, they shouldn't be this scarce."

"You think the Legion might've gotten to them?"

Fortunately, the layout of this Titans Tower was similar enough to the one in the west that Blackfire was able to navigate their way to the upper floors where the main command room was located. If none of the Titans were there, they simply weren't in the tower at all. "Helloooo? Is anybody here?" Jinx called out as they stepped into the main room, which was surprisingly poorly lit. "And somebody turn on the lights!" As if on cue, the lights flicked on and the room returned to its normal level of illumination and the two heroines stood face to face with the Titans East plus one unexpected addition.

"Blood!" Jinx shouted in disbelief.

"Hello there Jinx," the cybernetic former HIVE Headmaster greeted with a wicked grin across his face. With the way he stood so casually alongside the Titans East, it was evident that the Legion had gotten to them as well. "It's good to see you again…even if you are on the other side now."

"Can't really say the same," Jinx sneered in response.

"Do I sense hostilities? It's a pity that all my good students wind up turning good but every failure helps teach a new lesson: what to do with traitors! Class, destroy them!"

"Run!" As much as Blackfire hated to run from a fight, even she knew when she was outnumbered. She grabbed Jinx by the wrist and the two bolted out of the room just in time to avoid a flurry of arrows from Speedy. In their mad panic, the pair took random corridors and stairwells in hopes of losing the Titans East but in doing so also got themselves completely lost. Taking a moment to catch their breaths, Blackfire and Jinx took the opportunity to plot a new course of action.

"Great…five more Titans and one super villain. I normally don't like saying this but I think we're screwed."

"For once, I think you might be right on that," Blackfire groaned in frustrated.

"We need to get back to the car. We have to tell the others back in Jump City about this," Jinx explained, keeping a focus on their priorities. Blackfire appreciated Jinx's more levelheaded approach to a mission. While Blackfire's focus was on the fight, she could count on Jinx to keep the bigger picture in mind for her.

"You won't be telling anybody about this," Speedy's voice interrupted the two. The renegade stood at the end of the corridor ahead of them with a volley of arrows already aimed at the pair. Before they could turn tail and run, Bumblebee stepped into sight at the opposite end of the hall, cutting off their route of escape.

With their backs against the wall, so to speak, Blackfire quickly took charge of the situation. "Hold on!" Blackfire instructed as she grabbed her friend's hand and flew upwards as fast as she could. A brief blast from her eyebeams weakened the ceiling enough for the mighty Tamaranean to punch a hole to the floor above and continue her escape with her friend. The other, though, had anticipated this route of escape and they had the speedster twins and Aqualad waiting on the above floor for them. Blackfire was just finishing rounding a corner when she met face-to-fist with Aqualad, toppling the Tamaranean warrior to the ground.

"Going somewhere ladies?" Aqualad quipped as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. The twins, Mas y Menos, stood alongside the Atlantian, and were also eager to take down the fleeing heroines. Things just kept going downhill for Blackfire and Jinx, as the remaining Titans caught up to them and boxed them into the corner. The same trick wasn't going to work twice, which left them with very few options now.

"Maybe it's time I stopped running," Blackfire grunted as she got back to her feet, leaning against the wall for a moment.

"We can't take them all at once Black," Jinx whispered to her seemingly still dazed friend.

"Never said anything about you stopping." Blackfire said sharply as she sprung into action suddenly, hurling starbolts at Speedy and Bumblebee to knock them both over temporarily. "Now run Jinx," she ordered as she grabbed her friend and flung the young sorceress down the hall and away from the ensuing fight. Jinx could barely believe her eyes as she watched her friend jump headlong into a battle with the entire Titans East. As hard as it was, Jinx knew that Blackfire was buying her the time needed to make it back to the car so she could warn their friends back in Jump City about what had transpired in Steel City. "I said run! Don't worry about me, just get the hell out of here!" Blackfire shouted in the midst of wrestling with the Aqualad to prompt her friend to start her withdrawal from the battlefield.

Without another word, Jinx ran as fast as she could and didn't look back again.

Knocked to the ground by an electrifying blast from Bumblebee, the Titans loomed around the fallen Blackfire, making certain that she couldn't escape from them. "You can't beat us Blackfire," Aqualad said sternly as Speedy and Bumblebee kept their weapons trained on. "You can't take us all on."

"Don't…tell me what I can and can't do!" Blackfire hollered as she gained her second wind and sprang back to her feet in a surprisingly bold move. Her hand immediately latched onto Speedy's bow and her fist flew out to separate the weapon from its wielder. Gripping the bow firmly in her hands, Blackfire quickly spun about and swung the weapon as hard as she could into Bumblebee, shattering the bow and sending the Titan leader flying down the hall. Blackfire discarded the fragment of the bow she still had in hand by pitching it at one of the twins, nailing Mas in the head and sending him to the ground in a daze. Her sheer ferocity left Aqualad bewildered for a moment but he regained his composure and attempted to stop the Tamaranean's rage by grabbing hold of her. However, he took hold of Blackfire in a manner that was characteristic of a certain move taught to her by a Ven-Zo master. No sooner had he taken hold of her was he pitched down the hall, tumbling through the air a couple of times before landing squarely on the remaining Titan. "Damn, sometimes I scare myself," Blackfire chuckled boastfully before she took the opportunity to exit the battlefield herself.

Blackfire wasn't about to waste any time getting the hell out of the tower and instead of navigating through the corridors and hallways, she took the more direct route. Blasting through the tower, she ascended floor by floor leaving a path of destruction in her wake. Upon reaching the rooftops, however, Blackfire discovered that the one person absent from the fights was waiting for her there.

"Your name was Blackfire, right?" Brother Blood asked politely as the Tamaranean hovered several feet from him. He looked particularly dangerous, especially since the cybernetic components covering his body reminded her of Cyborg's.

"That's right and you're Blood if I recall correctly."

"Brother Blood if you don't mind," he corrected her. "I must admit, when I heard that Starfire had a criminal sister, I was very, very interested in meeting you."

"Hate to disappoint you Brother Blood but I'm not really into the criminal business anymore."

"I don't suppose I could persuade you to change your mind? After all, you're not one who believes in all those silly notions of justice and protecting the innocent. I've seen enough footage of your fights against the Legion to know that you do this for the thrill of the battle. You enjoy every moment of the fight…"

"And I'm going to enjoy every moment of kicking your ass, you've got a point with this tinman?" Blackfire snapped, growing impatient as she cracked her knuckles.

"You should brush up on some lessons in patience child," Blood continued, unfazed by her threats. "You've seen what the Legion is capable of; Instead of fighting a futile fight, join us and become more powerful than you could've ever imagined. You'd have everything you could've wanted – power, domination, and admiration. The people of this world would bow down before you like a goddess of war."

"A…goddess…" Blackfire muttered softly as her feet touched down. "You could really do that for me?" Slowly, the curious Tamaranean stepped closer to the cybernetic villain. Her eyes held a sort of childish wonder…as if the one thing in the world was literally being dangled in front of her eyes.

"Why stay with people who don't understand what you truly are capable of and of what potential you hold?" Blood continued to tempt her, luring her closer and closer to him and the Legion. "Join us…and be with people who would appreciate you…even love you." When she was close enough, Blood carefully reached out and tilted her chin up so that they were making eye contact.

Blackfire merely smirked though as her eyes began to glow pink. "No deal!' The blast from her eyebeams sent Brother Blood soaring through the air before landing on the other side of the rooftops. "Maybe if you had caught me a few weeks ago I would've agreed…but I like where I am now and there's nothing that's going to make me leave my friends!"

"Strength and determination…I thought I had you all figured out Blackfire," Blood commented, almost in a complimenting tone, as he rose to his feet. "If you won't join willing, then I'll just take you by force!" Brother Blood sprang forth with blinding speed, far more than Blackfire was used to seeing. She didn't even have time to react as a sharp pain pierced through her stomach, radiating outwards as it tensed every muscle in her body. Blood stood before her know, his fist driven straight into her abdomen, which caused the girl to slowly collapse to her knees in agony. "You would've made a fine student but I suppose you'll make a good minion as well."

"What…have you done to my sister?" Blackfire growled through the pain as she kept one arm wrapped tightly around her injured stomach.

"You'll find out soon enough…"

"Bastard!" Blackfire shouted loudly as she sprang back to her feet in a rising uppercut, taking Brother Blood by surprise. Blood was knocked back several feet but easily recovered from the blow and charged back at the Tamaranean to counter-attack. Several starbolts were launched to deter his advance, though each one was knocked aside like a buzzing fly. As he drew closer, she swung repeatedly to try and stop him but couldn't get even close to landing a hit on the surprisingly agile warrior. Blood simply danced around her punches, kicks, and starbolts like she was moving through waist-high mud. Every so often, he just threw in a quick hit to stun the girl, as if rubbing in the fact that she wasn't going to be able to so much as lay a hand on him. Intercepting an attack of hers, Blood lifted the Tamaranean high into the air before slamming her straight down, smashing a crater into the rooftop. He wouldn't give her time to recover from the overwhelming pain though as he pulled her out of the crater immediately after creating it and pitched her with enough velocity that she landed at the top of the cliffs.

"Never…imagined he'd be this adept…" Blackfire grunted under her breath as she tried to get back to her feet but with little success.

"I hope your not trying to get away," Blood mused after joining Blackfire at the top of the cliffs. "I'm afraid schools out for you…permanently." His hand began to glow red in preparation for the final blow…when suddenly both of them were bathed in a powerful white light. Both turned to see an oncoming red sports car, which was already in the middle of a slide. The side of the car's backend nailed Brother Blood squarely in the chest, knocking the villain right off the side of the cliff.

"Jinx…" Blackfire groaned in delighted surprise when she saw her friend emerge from the car.

"I know you told me to leave but…well, I've never been good at following orders," Jinx answered in a hurry as she helped her friend into the car. The chances that Brother Blood was stopped by such a primitive blow was next to nothing so it was time to sound the retreat.

Without the Titans East to help them…Jinx couldn't think of where to turn to now.


	23. Chapter 22: The Home Front

**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Home Front**

**"Zis is completely ridiculous," **Jacqueline grumbled aloud as she stood in front of the oven. It had been a couple of days since Jinx and Blackfire ventured out east to seek the assistance of the Titans East and everybody in the former HIVE Five base was growing restless from all the waiting. Time was not on their side and every hour that passed by was another hour that the Titans could do more of the Legion's bidding or another hour for the Legion to draw closer to this base. Since the Legion was out looking for Raven, Jacqueline, and Kid Flash, they couldn't leave the safety of the base, which was really grating on Jacqueline's nerves. For a person who took great pride in their work, it was hard for Jacqueline to stand idly by while criminals preyed upon the defenseless city. "We're supposed to be heroes, why are we hiding down 'ere like scared little children?"

"Well in case you've forgotten, there's sort of a small army of robots out there waiting to put a hole in our heads!" Kid Flash snapped back. While he could agree with Jacqueline on how frustrating it was to remain cooped up inside but his patience with Jacqueline constant complaining was growing thin. He was attempting to keep himself from going insane with boredom by playing one of the video games that was left behind by the HIVE Five, though he was having little success in stemming it. "Blackfire and Jinx will be back soon so just be patient."

"Be patient he says…" Jacqueline scoffed quietly, returning her attention to the frying pan in front of her. When you were bored, every minute seemed to tick by as if it were dragging its feet. Even her eggs, which should be finished in a matter of minutes, felt like it had been sizzling for the better part of the day. There were a million and one things that Jacqueline wished she could've been doing but couldn't because she was stuck her. She'd love to be back in her home, brushing up on her sciences or kicking back with a good book. Having searched the old rooms of the former HIVE Five members, Jacqueline doubted if any of them read at all. "Ze city could be on fire for all we know and we won't even take a damn look outside."

"I thought you set up the old 'crime detector' so that it would spot crimes in progress rather than potential crimes."

"I don't even know if it works cause we can't confirm any of the readings. It could be busted and we wouldn't be able to tell until we actually go into the city to find out."

"You said you were good with computers."

"Regular computers, yes, but zat zing was custom built by some midget genius. It's kind of above my level of knowledge at the moment." Jacqueline was versed in many disciplines but she wasn't an expert in most of them, including computer sciences, which reprogramming computers would fall into. Kid Flash might have felt confident in her work but Jacqueline had the lingering doubts, which only grew worse over time.

"I'm sure you did fine. Now stop worrying about it, please. It's starting to give me a headache."

"Zat's easy for you to say. It's not your reputation on the line. If ze whole city gets wasted zen I'm ze one zat'll get blamed for it. How can you just sit zere and play video games anyways?" Tempers were beginning to flare…again. Since Raven spent most of her time alone recovering, Jacqueline and Kid Flash have had to deal with each other none stop for the past couple of days. It was only a matter of time before an incident happened. Both of them had egos that the other didn't like and while Kid Flash was relaxed and calm, Jacqueline was far more serious and duty-minded; their conflicting personalities made it difficult for them to get along when left to their own devices.

"Well it's pretty simple – I sit on the couch and hold the controller in my hand. Then, when the appropriate situations arise I move my fingers in various manners to produce a response on the screen which-"

"Zat's not what I meant!"

"Then you should have said so. You should play a few rounds. Maybe it'll loosen you up. God knows your wound up tighter than a spring."

"I am not wound up!" Jacqueline's frustrations with the other hero had momentarily distracted her from her food, which began to smoke behind her. When she realized that her lunch was beginning to smolder, Jacqueline let out a panicked shout followed by a string of French curses as she scrambled to save her eggs. "Well zanks a lot! Zat was ze last of ze eggs!"

"You should've been paying more attention. Notice how I haven't even taken my eyes off the screen during the length of this conversation. For a jack of all trades I'm surprised you never learned how to multitask."

"Pay attention to this!" Jacqueline shouted as she pelted the blackened remains of her lunch at the back of Kid Flash's head, splattering the hero's hair in blackened egg white and hardened yolk.

"Okay, that's it! You want a piece of me? Come on you damn frog!"

This wasn't a full-on fight, which meant that neither side was really going all-out or using their powers too much. Kid Flash merely leapt over the couch and crash tackled Jacqueline, causing both of them to tumble across the floor. Somewhere in the middle of their tumbling, Jacqueline pinned the speedster to the floor, to which she smirked triumphantly. "Who's laughing now Yankee?" Jacqueline boasted. Just as Kid Flash was about to wrestle free, an muffled, echoing rumble halted their actions. Both just stared at each other in confusion before red lights began to flash throughout the room.

"The alarm!" Kid Flash gasped when he realized what was going on. Immediately both heroes set aside their squabbles and raced over to the main computer to figure out what was going on. Jacqueline flew through the computer's command menus and accessed the internal security cameras. The sight they saw caused both of them to recoil in fright. A primary blast door leading into the main halls of the base had just been breached with a demolition charge and now dozens of Legionnaires came pouring into the base. At the lead were the ever familiar and determined Achilles and Heracles.

"Ze Legions here already?" Jacqueline shouted in disbelief. Neither of them had expected such a prompt and sudden arrival, especially since they were already inside before triggering any alarms.

"Plus two of their generals. This is bad. Wait, what was that item those hoplites were carrying?" Kid Flash pointed to a pair of hoplites, who were carrying a very large drum-like item on their backs.

"Let me get a better look," Jacqueline replied as she backtracked the security footage to get a good look. When her eyes widened, Kid Flash knew it wasn't good news. "Zose look like high-yield seismic charges. Zey're used to demolish bunkers and other subterranean structures."

"They're splitting into two groups," Kid Flash said, pointing to the overall map of the base, which showed numerous read dots heading down each primary column of the facility.

"Where's Raven?"

"In Jinx's…room…oh crap." A second look at the map revealed that one of the groups was, indeed, heading towards Jinx's room, which was located near the bottom of the base. There was no way Raven would be able to hold them back. "I'm going for Raven, you take care of those bombs!"

"Right!" For once, the two heroes managed to agree on something as they went their separate ways. Luckily for Jacqueline, she could estimate the approximate whereabouts of the point of detonation needed to bring down the tower with such charges. The downside was that the Legion was likely to reach that point first…and since the robots weren't too concerned with 'life' the chances that they would detonate while still in the base as a last resort were high. Grabbing her guitar on the way out, Jacqueline rushed down the halls as fast as her legs could carry her. It was times like these that Jacqueline wished that she could fly or teleport or just move really, really fast. She'd settle for flying though she wasn't sure how she could accomplish such an end. Thus far she hadn't found the right technology that she could use to enable a controllable flight…though she had been told that the hoplites were capable of flight, so she was interested in recovering a sample of their technology to analyze.

The destination that Jacqueline wanted was a large storage room located at the bottom level of the lateral section that connected the two main columns of the base. The structural support was most fragile there and a precision blast from a seismic charge would cause the entire earth above that section to collapse down and crash the remainder of the base. Jacqueline knew that if she couldn't get to the charges before they were set, she'd have to disarm them manually…which was yet another gray area of Jacqueline's expertise.

As she neared her hypothesized destination, Jacqueline could hear the sound of movement from around the next bend. It was likely that a number of hoplites had been left to guard the corridors while the charges were set, which meant they would know she was coming from a long way away.

Pressing her back against the wall, Jacqueline crept up to the corner and used a pocket mirror to peek around the corner. Standing guard were a pair of hoplites and a much large centaur. Sneaking up was impossible so Jacqueline just had to settle with a head-on rush. Luckily for her, Robin wasn't the only one with a belt full of useful items. Reaching into one of the pouches of her belt, hidden beneath her red leather vest, she pulled out a handful of small explosive devices – a combination of smoke and flash bombs. Priming them all, she tossed the handful around the corner and waited for the loud bang to follow suit. Since they were machines, Jacqueline didn't know how effective they would be so she decided to waste no time in finding out and rushed for the trio through the clouds of thick smoke. Ducking and weaving through the oncoming gunfire from the temporarily blinded soldiers, Jacqueline rushed in close and burst through the clouds of smoke with her guitar held high.

Thanks to the narrow hallways, there wasn't enough room for the hoplites to dodge the oncoming attacks or back away quickly, especially since the centaur at the very rear took up most of the hallway's width. With a mighty swing, the guitar struck the nearest hoplite right on the side of its head, driving it straight into the wall and shattering it into pieces like a smashed egg. The next hoplite took a blow to the side of its knee, taking them both out from under it and toppling the machine over with a loud crash. The spear-armed centaur couldn't counter-attack as Jacqueline's guitar swung upwards and caught the machine in the jaw, delivering a staggering blow to the Legionnaire.

"Zese Legion guys aren't so tough," Jacqueline boasted confidently as the two mechanical warriors rose to their feet for round two. The hoplite was the easiest target for her to take down next. Using the body of her guitar to hook onto the machine at the armpit, Jacqueline pulled the hoplite off-balance, causing it to stagger into the path of the centaur's oncoming spear. The centaur didn't let up for a second, even after impaling its comrade and flinging its lifeless body aside. With the advantage of range, the centaur was able to push Jacqueline back down the hall with a fast series of swings and jabs, all of which Jacqueline was able to parry, block, or evade. As she drew closer and closer to the end of the hall, the centaur pressed its attack even hard, which made it easier for Jacqueline to find a moment when its defenses were dropped to exploit. That opportunity of exploitation came when the machine over-extended its thrust, to which Jacqueline sidestepped to avoid and then rammed the end of the guitar straight into the centaur's face. The stunning strike left the machine unable to defend Jacqueline's next attack; she jumped off the side wall to bring herself right at head level and delivered another might swing to its head. This time, the head was taken clean off and sent flying down the hall like an oversized baseball.

"Flawless victory!" Jacqueline laughed triumphantly upon landing on the ground. Of course, there wasn't any time to revel in her superiority – she had a building to save. "Oh right, ze bomb!" Jacqueline reminded herself and hurried on her way. Because she engaged a small grouping of Legionnaires, Jacqueline was expecting to have hordes of them coming down atop of her…but there was surprisingly no resistance as she continued on her way. This, of course, simply put Jacqueline more on guard as she reached her destination – just outside the room where the largest structural weak point was located. The only thing that could go wrong now was if she were completely wrong but that was a far possibility. Her knowledge of explosives and demolitions was sufficient to point out weak points in a building. _"Zey could just be waiting for me…"_ Jacqueline pondered the possibility that her enemies had purposefully pulled back in order to wait in ambush at a suitable chokepoint. Since the bomb was vital, they simply needed to hold back and wait for Jacqueline to come to them. A genius plan…if it weren't for the fact that Jacqueline was already figuring out a way to counter said plan.

"Zere must be another way into that room…" Jacqueline muttered to herself as she scanned her surroundings for a grating or opening. Her eyes quickly fixated on a grating near the ceiling. It was small but thankfully Jacqueline wasn't a very large girl by any stretch of the imagination. With a quick pry and jump, Jacqueline squeezed into the small ventilation shaft, which she only hoped led to where she needed to go. Luck was on her side, though, as the vent led directly to the storage chamber where she could see a small number of hoplites and centaurs waiting in ambush, just as she had predicted. Now it was time to launch a sneak attack on the ambush party. Deftly, the young hero removed the grating and slithered into the back of the room. The machines were so busy waiting for her to burst through the door that they weren't paying attention to Jacqueline, who was climbing atop of the crates to get a good vantage point.

_"One small step for man…one giant leap for me!"_ Jacqueline leapt off the edge of the crates, letting gravity build up her momentum as she brought her guitar crashing down atop of a centaur. The might machine was crushed beyond recovery beneath the force of the blow, sending an echoing crashing sound through the entire floor. "Zis is for the Adamantine Prison!" With the memories of the slain soldiers of the French army still fresh on her mind, Jacqueline hurled herself into the midst of the hoplites. There would be no mercy for the weak for today's menu was vengeance and she intended to exact it on each and every one of them.

--------------

Getting to Raven first was almost too easy for Kid Flash, even with the Legion having a head start on him. Despite a desire to, Kid Flash had to ignore all the Legionnaires that he passed through the halls on the way to Raven, though they tried their best to hinder his advance. Raven's temporary room was, unfortunately, located at the end of the hall at one of the lowest points in the entire building. Sometimes Raven's desire for seclusion and privacy became a problem when danger was afoot.

_"She better be awake,"_ Kid Flash hoped as he pounded on Raven's door. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the soldiers of the Legion appearing at the end of the hall and barreling upon him at top speed. "I'm coming in whether you open this door or not!" Kid Flash warned, about to phase through the door, when Raven opened the door and quickly pulled the hero inside. Once inside, Raven began to move the heavy furniture in the room with her powers to barricade the door.

"Where's Jacqueline?" Raven asked as she set down the last of the barricade.

"They're trying to bring the whole building down. Jacqueline is going to handle that. I'm getting you out of here."

"You could've told me that before I barricaded the door."

"Can't you just use your teleporting thing?"

"I could try but I haven't fully recovered. In case you've forgotten, I slammed into the water going at about sixty miles an hours. I probably got a concussion from it as well."

"We'll just have to try. That door isn't going to hold them for very long."

Right on cue, an explosion tore through the makeshift barricade, sending both Titans flat on their backs. Through the smoke, hoplites began to pour into the room. Recovering quickly from the blast, Raven used her telekinetics to hurl several sharp fragments of the door at the oncoming hoplites. Most of the pieces merely bounced off the armour plating but one unfortunate hoplite caught the shard straight through an optic lens. Since they wanted Raven alive, opening fire on her was out of the question so while two hoplites advanced on her, the other two put fire on Kid Flash.

Zipping around the gunfire, Kid Flash whisked past Raven scooped the wounded Titan up in his arms and B-lined it for the exit. If they could make it out of the room, they'd be home free. However, a particular giant of a general had something to say about that. Stepping right into Kid Flash's path at the last second, a sweeping forearm knocked the pair back to the ground and into the center of the four hoplites.

"Oh not you again," Kid Flash groaned as Heracles stepped into the room, having to duck his head down just to fit through the doorframe.

"There won't be any running for you today little human," Heracles chuckled arrogantly as the hoplites descended upon them. One grabbed Raven from behind, wrapping an arm around her body and clasping a hand over her mouth to keep her from casting any spells, while a second hoplite grabbed Kid Flash by the arm and wrenched it painfully behind his back, keeping the hero immobilized. "Ow! Quit it! My arm's not supposed to bend that way!"

"That's the whole point," Heracles remarked sternly as he leaned over to stare Kid Flash right in the eyes. "I suggest you quit squirming, or I'll have my hoplite over there snap Raven's little neck like a twig."

"Don't you need her alive?"

"It's an optional thing. Between having her alive and having you behave, I'd rather have you behave."

"I guess I should flattered that I'm more important."

"No, I just need to you to hold still until this." Kid Flash was confused at first by what Heracles meant but that puzzlement was put to rest when the butt of a rifle was struck against the back of his head, knocking him out cold. "Take him to Achilles, I'm sure he'll want to put him with the other one. As for you…" Heracles paused momentarily as he turned to the remarkable calm Raven. "You get to join your friends. I'm afraid your going to have to be put under for the trip…wouldn't want you figuring out where the base is." With that, a quick a blow to the back of Raven's head put her out as well. "Send word to Achilles that we've got the package and we're sending him a gift. Pull back to rendezvous point and await further orders."

"Yes General," a hoplite acknowledged while Heracles took Raven off their hands.

--------------

"Ugh…my head…can't believe I let myself get trapped like that…" Kid Flash groaned as the world began to become clearer to him again. Slowly, the hero rejoined the world of the conscious. As expected, the blow that knocked him out had left him with a massive headache upon awakening and, also expected, he found that his arms and legs were unable to move. Kid Flash finally opened his eyes and saw that he was in one of the storage rooms of the base with his arms and legs bound by some strange energy rings. What struck Kid Flash as odd was that it felt like he was leaning up against someone…then it dawned on him. "Ah crap…they got you too didn't they?"

"Oh yeah," Jacqueline sighed. She, too, was bound in a similar fashion and the two heroes were tied together by another energy ring. "I just finished kicking the ze crap out of a bunch of hoplites and zen zis big armored guy came out of nowhere and sucker punched me." That 'armoured guy' was Achilles, who had waited for Jacqueline to become distracted long enough so that he could move in and take her down quickly. "I assume by your presence zat zey got Raven?"

"We screwed up royally, didn't we?"

"For once we can agree on something."

"I'm sure there are other things we can agree on."

"How about ze fact zat we're both going to die soon?"

"We're sitting right next to the bombs aren't we?"

"Five feet to your right."

"No offense but I'm not exactly ready to give up just yet."

"Neither am I."

"If you have any plans I'm more than open to suggestions."

"Zese energy shackles are controlled by a small computer device. I might be able to short zem out but I'll need your help with zem. See if you can reach the large pouch at ze back of my belt." Since their hands were bound behind their backs, Kid Flash was able to feel his way to the pouch in question. "Inside zere should be a long, stick-like device. It's about ze length of your hand and a couple of inches wide."

"Yeah, I got it," Kid Flash acknowledged after sifting through the contents of the pouch for a few seconds.

"Give it to me." As instructed, Kid Flash carefully and delicately pulled the item out of her pouch and set it into the awaiting hands of Jacqueline. The item was her multi-tool – a custom-built tool that housed a variety of different tools and devices for any situation imaginable. Flipping out the electronics probe, a simple tool designed for electronics repair, Jacqueline began to blindly fiddle with the device that was maintaining the energy bindings on Kid Flash's hands. Breaking electronics was pretty easy compared to breaking a traditional lock. All one had to was keep poking and prodding until it fried or the energy source got disconnected. The loud crackle, pop, and fizzle was a good indication that Jacqueline was getting close and when the 'clang' noise was heard, both heroes couldn't contain their relief.

"Jacqueline you are a genius!" Kid Flash exclaimed as he was handed the device so he could continue the job with the other control devices. The first one he went to was the one binding his legs, which fell easily to his tampering.

"Okay now hand it back so I can get out of zese things."  
Just as Kid Flash was about to comply, his eye caught a glimpse of the bombs. The timer was clearly visible to him thanks to his better angle. It was already at ten seconds and counting. "No time!" Kid Flash shouted as he grunted and groaned while getting back to his feet, hauling Jacqueline up as well.

"What are you doing?" Jacqueline shouted as she was lifted off the ground by the bindings still holding them together.

"For once just shut up!" Kid Flash had to really huff it as he raced as fast as his legs could carry him and Jacqueline safely. Out the door and up the stairs back to ground level, Kid Flash was counting down the seconds in his head. With Jacqueline on his back he couldn't run quite as fast and he mentally reached zero just as he reached the outside world. The echoing roar of the seismic charges could be heard all the way on the surface, which was followed by a rumbling in the earth. Kid Flash didn't wait to see what happened as he put as much distance as he could from the base. Jacqueline, however, got a good look as the ground began to cave in a rapidly expanding radius around the base. Lower and lower the earth sank until there was nothing more but a huge crater where Jinx's home once rested.

Coming to rest, once Kid Flash was certain the devastation was over, Kid Flash could finish Jacqueline's request and free themselves from the remainder of the bindings.

"Now we screwed up royally," Jacqueline sighed as the two heroes gazed upon the half a kilometer wide crater that lay before them.

"You're explaining this to Jinx."


	24. Chapter 23: United

**Chapter Twenty-Three: United**

**"They blew up my house?"** Jinx shouted in anger and disbelief as she paced back forth in front of Jacqueline and Kid Flash. The heroes had to borrow an old warehouse in order to keep low from the prying eyes of the Legion, who probably thought Kid Flash and Jacqueline were dead now. While Jinx was overwhelmed with frustration that her home had been destroyed, at least a part of her was relieved that Kid Flash was safe…though Raven had been captured now.

"It was more of an implosion really. You see ze seismic charges send high resonance waves through ze entire surrounding foundation zat causes it to weaken by over 80, zus allowing ze overlaying bedrock and soil to crush ze infrastructure." Jacqueline's technical explanation didn't quell Jinx's frustrations. In fact, she only got more annoyed by it. Snapping at Jacqueline wasn't going to solve their problems though, so she managed to keep from spouting more vulgarities at them.

"God! All my stuff is gone now. All my books and my works…it's all ruined," Jinx groaned softly, her rage turning into melancholy now. Sighing in defeat, Jinx sat down on a stack of old boxes, just trying to get her emotions in order so that she could focus on the important matters at hand. Kid Flash carefully sat down beside her and gave her a few supportive pats on the shoulder before letting her rest her tired head on his shoulder. "You do realize I'm going to have to destroy them all now?"

"I think I know better than most that you're not one to get on the bad side of. We'll have fun destroying them all together but first we have to do something about the Titans," Kid Flash said as smiled reassuringly, which managed to elicit a small, hopeful smile from Jinx.

"I zink I'll get to work…" Jacqueline took this as a sign that she should make herself scarce and give the couple some time to themselves. There were things that needed to be fixed at this warehouse if they were going to use it as a temporary home until they could find a new place. Getting the plumbing working was the top priority for Jacqueline so she figured now was as good of a time as any to go and start work on it.

"I had such good memories attached to that place…"

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you spend most of your time there living with a bunch of people you hated?"

"Hm…good point. Still, if it weren't for them I probably wouldn't have met you."

"And you say only bad things happen around you." The pair shared a small laugh before Jinx let out a more relaxed sigh. Kid Flash always had a way of making her feel a bit better about herself or her situation, regardless of how hopeless it might seem. "We'll find you a nice place to set up camp. If things get really bad you can always bunk with me for a while."

"Already suggesting living together? I thought you said you were going to try and take this relationship slowly," Jinx quipped with a smirk. "You know, when we beat the Titans…there's going to be a very large and empty tower that's just going to waste. I suppose I could just bunk in there. Who knows, maybe I can even make it a permanent residence."

"Somehow I doubt the Titans would just turn evil all of a sudden. There's bound to be an explanation for it. When we beat them, we can find out why they've been doing the things they did and then, perhaps together, we can put a stop to the Legion."

"A decent plan but all of that hinges on us actually beating the Titans. We got our butts handed to us last time. I hope Blackfire knows what she's doing…"

"Speaking of which, where is she anyways? She didn't come back with you and you weren't very descriptive with your explanation the first time." Indeed Blackfire did not return with Jinx when she arrived at the crater. Her explanation when Kid Flash initially asked was a vague 'she went to do some business'. At the time, Jinx was more focused about the destruction of her house than explaining the absence of the Tamaranean.

"Blackfire said that there was one last person she could probably enlist to help up. She said a friend of hers owed her one and wouldn't say whom. She insisted that it was going to be a surprise for us." Jinx had a pretty good idea of whom Blackfire had been referring to but she wasn't going to speculate openly at the moment. There were plenty of things she didn't know about her alien roommate so there was no telling who Blackfire might be able to recruit.

--------------

_"If you ever need to reach me, just go the north ledge on the highest building in Jump City and wait for me."_ His words still echoed in Blackfire's mind, mixed with the lingering doubt that she might be waiting up here forever. Standing on the rooftop of the highest building in Jump City, Blackfire looked out to the north and waited for some sign of him to come. She had never actually tried using this method of reaching him, as they usually arranged meetings, but she needed him urgently now. "Where the hell are you X?" she grumbled to herself as she folded her arms across her chest. When things were urgent, Blackfire had a tendency to be even more impatient than she normally was.

"Sorry I'm late. You sort of interrupted a perfectly good robbery," the shadowy voice of the thief Red X spoke up from behind her. A pair of black-clad arms wrapped tenderly around her waistline and pulled her up against his chest.

"This is sort of important," Blackfire replied, tempted to just take a few moments to enjoy being with her boyfriend but quickly reminding herself that she came here for a different reason. She needed his help and he was going to provide.

"Any reason from you is important for me babe," Red X replied in a sort of suave tone. Blackfire thought it was kind of cute when he tried to charming, which was hard when you had a skull-like image as the face of your mask. Still, he tried his best to please, which was good enough for her. "So what's on your mind Black?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Teen Titans fiasco that's been going on," Blackfire started, wanting to lead up to the question in mind rather than asking it outright.

"How could I not know about it? It's been on every news program and newspaper this week. I can barely make the front page anymore. The whole island has been blockaded by the military and every attempt to arrest them has resulted in them ferrying people out on stretchers." Things had gone from bad to worse in regards to the Titans. On the bright side, at least Blackfire knew where to find them – they hadn't left their homes since the failed assault at the Summit meeting. Blackfire, of course, knew it wasn't because of the blockade. They were waiting for something, most likely new orders.

"I need you to help stop them," Blackfire said flatly, knowing that those few words would elicit a startled response from Red X. Just as she thought, Red X immediately pulled away from her, turning her about so that they were facing each other now.

"You were at the Summit weren't you?" Red X asked, recalling that unidentified fighters helped to protect the world leaders during the attack at the Summit. "That's awfully…heroic. I thought you weren't into that sort of thing. I distinctly remember an 'I'm not going to be like my sister' motivation."

"A person once told me I had to realize the difference between what I wanted to do and what I truly needed to do. I need to do this Red X…and I need your help if I'm going to accomplish this." She was being dead serious about this, which was a bit of a change from the ordinary for Red X. The relationship was still awfully young and there were going to be more serious moments to there otherwise fun-filled companionship, he just hoped they would be later…and not this kind of seriousness.

"I don't like playing the hero role Black. I'm a thief remember? With the Titans gone that's just made my job a hell of a lot easier."

"And boring I bet," Blackfire said as she interrupted him. "Listen X, I hate playing hero as much as you. This isn't about justice or truth or any of that other shit. I'm doing this cause it's either them or me. Besides, this is going to be a lot of fun." One could always count on Blackfire to see 'fun' in an upcoming fight. She didn't say it outright, but Red X could tell that she was also doing this because she loved to fight – the bigger the challenge, the greater the thrill. What bigger challenge was there than the Teen Titans?

"I'm sure you can do this without me."

"Tried. Got outnumbered and swarmed. Listen, I've tried asking nicely but I guess I'm just going to call in that favour. You _owe_ me one. Remember? I know you're a man of your word so you're going to help me beat the Titans."

Red X had to contain the annoyed growl that welled up in his throat. He was a thief, he had no 'honour' that Blackfire was playing on. However, she was also right. He always paid back his debts and there was one that still needed to be paid in full. Still, this was a fair step up from helping him out during that fight with the Legion. He wouldn't be owing her that if it weren't for her bringing the Legion to him. "What do I get out of it? Paying off a debt is not going to be enough."

"Well…when we beat the Titans, the whole Tower is going to be ours for the taking. You could, say, help yourself to some of the new gadgets and techs that the Titans hoard to themselves. Plus, you'd be outright famous in the criminal world as the one who helped take down the Teen Titans. The black market would just be rolling over to be associated with you – I'm sure somebody in those markets would be able to get you some of that precious ore you've mentioned before." Blackfire definitely knew how to strike a deal with him. It was almost too tempting to pass up, especially the part about a share of the loot from the Titans Tower. Though Robin built the entire suit he used, there were bound to be a number of new gadgets Robin had devised since then – things that would make great additions to his combat suit.

"Alright. You've got a deal. I help you beat the Titans and I get a share of the loot. I hope you have a plan though, cause it's going to be tough with just the two of us."

"Don't worry, I've got a whole team assembled and waiting for us. With the five of us, the Titans won't stand a chance."

--------------

"Sorry we're late you guys, why didn't somebody tell me that they blew up our house?" Blackfire remarked as she and Red X entered the main room the old warehouse where Jinx and the others had been waiting for them. When Blackfire went back to her 'home' to meet up with Jinx and the others, she too found the giant crater and a message left behind by Jinx. Blackfire left out the other reason of her delay, which was the several minutes of venting her frustration by hurling starbolts into the crater. That would be two homes she had lost in her life. Not a good track record.

"It was more of an implosion," Jinx replied as she glanced over to Red X. "So the good news is that they think Kid Flash and Jacqueline are dead, so there will be an element of surprise to our attack. In fact, I doubt they'd even expect us to attack with just you and me left. The bad news is that they've got Raven now, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see Raven fighting with the Titans when we attack."

"Well with Red X here we shouldn't have too much trouble. He's probably the only person the Titan's have ever fought and not beaten." A few close calls but technically speaking, the Titans had never defeated Red X. Every time that he fought them he could run circles around each of them, with the exception of Robin. Robin was the only person that Red X figured would give him a problem. However, Robin was probably the only person that nobody else in the group could handle easily. If they managed to make it a five-on-five brawl, then Red X would have no problem dispatching of the Titans with the assistance of his temporary teammates…but if they split up then they'd be in a bit more trouble. "Now the Titans are holed up on their little island so we're going to have to take the fight to them somehow. We need to sneak everyone into the Tower without them noticing, any suggestions?"

"If you give me a few minutes, I can knock out their security system for a little while. They'll notice that it's down though, so somebody would have to keep them distracted," Red X suggested. "Perhaps, say, a certain flying alien who's known to run headlong into things."

"He's got a point there. The Titans wouldn't suspect a sneak attack from you," Jinx nodded in agreement. Blackfire wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or not by those remarks. However, if it would work than Blackfire was more than willing to take the brunt and be the decoy once again. Fortunately, she wouldn't need to fight the Titans for very long, just for a few minutes while Red X handled the security.

"How long would it take to get from the island's edge to the top floor of the Tower?" Blackfire asked, as she wanted to make sure she wouldn't be holding off four or five Titans for too long.

"With my help, twenty seconds at most," Kid Flash answered. He could easily ferry the people from the bottom to a rendezvous point in the Tower. It'd ensure that the remainder of the team arrived at the same time rather than one after the other.

"Okay, now if we're going to beat the Titans, we need all need to know how they fight and how each of us fight. They work strong as a team and we're going to need to do so as well if we're going to win," Blackfire continued as the fighters gathered around a small, hand-drawn map of the Titans' island, which Jacqueline provided. "We're going to need a drawn-out plan too. We'll hit the Titans at the break of dawn, so we've got about seven hours to get to know each of our capabilities and draw out a plan."

"Not to sound rude or anything but when did we put you in charge?" Jinx asked. She was used to leading the team back when she worked in the HIVE and had a thorough understanding of the leadership position. It wasn't that she doubted Blackfire's competency but…well, Blackfire had always shown herself to be a lone wolf sort of girl.

"Back on Tamaran I was taught to be a lot more than just a fighter…I had to learn how to command as well. Not to brag but I could probably lead an army of five hundred just as easily as five. It's simply a matter of everybody knowing their jobs and getting the orders across. This is a group effort and it's not going to be done if we squabble over things like leadership…let's just focus on getting this job done so we can all go back to our lives, okay?"

"Sounds fair," Jinx conceded.

"Good…now, here's what I had in mind for our approach on the island…"

--------------

The morning sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon, casting a growing pastel of orange and purples across the once-darkened sky. The Titans Tower cast its gigantic shadow across the water, just reaching the coastline at this early hour. Around the entire tower, small military warships were monitoring the Titans Tower, waiting for further orders, as none of the military commanders were quite ready to order an all-out attack on the famous defenders of justice. High above the tower, a lone figure was barely visible against the sky's cloudless backdrop.

"This is Blackfire - report in people," she began, speaking into one of the handheld radios that the HIVE Five once used to keep in touch with one another.

"Red X responding, I'm in position and ready to move on your order," the stealthy thief answered from his position at the base of the tower. Making his way through the security grid without setting off any of the sensors was easy for a master thief like him, especially since stealing the Red X suit the first time was accomplished without the aid of any special technology. An access panel at the base of the tower had been pried off and he was only waiting an order from Blackfire to shut the grid down.

"Jinx reporting in. Main force is in position on the east side of the island. Awaiting further instructions over." The other three warriors were at the very edge of the water on the east side, facing the main entrance of the Titans Tower. It was tricky ferrying each of them across the bay without being spotted, but Kid Flash managed to pull it off. They had been waiting in the dark for well over an hour, having moved into position well before the others as to have the advantage of darkness to cover their movement. Everyone was in place so now it was up to Blackfire to provide the diversion so the others could infiltrate the Tower unnoticed.

Getting the Titans attention wasn't going to be too tough. Blackfire flew towards the tower at top speed, smashing through the living room window and landing in the middle of the main room of the Tower. The moment the glass shattered, alarms in the tower began to go off, alerting the inhabitants of the emergency underway in their 'home'. One by one, the Titans arrived in the room to confront their guest. Blackfire had to play her part just right…she couldn't let them know that she knew help was coming soon. "Hey guys, surprised to see me?"

"Only because we thought you'd be smarter than this," Robin remarked darkly as each of the Titans readied themselves for a fight. Just as she had anticipated, near the back of the Titans she could see Raven now standing amongst them. She was one of them now.

"You guys got lucky the first time. I was sort of holding back cause I didn't want to think that you were all honestly turning evil on me, especially after I had gone through all the trouble of stopping being evil," Blackfire boasted, trying to act like her usual arrogant self without giving too much information away. "So who wants to be the first one to go?"

"The only one who shall be going is you sister," Starfire replied sternly, charging up her starbolts and stepping ahead of the rest of the Titans. Everyone knew that Starfire had first dibs when it came to fighting her sister…nobody knew her fighting style better after all. However, the same could be said for the reverse situation.

"You think you can take me? I don't know if anybody's told you but I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we dueled. I will always be the better fighter."

"Except there's five of us and only one of you," Raven interrupted as the other Titans stepped forth to make sure that they weren't going to be forgotten.

"Hm, that's funny. Cause my count puts it at an even five-on-five." Blackfire's timing couldn't have been better as the door behind the Titans blew out from its frame and the remainder of the assault force arrived on the scene.

"They're alive?" Cyborg shouted in disbelief upon seeing Kid Flash and Jacqueline amongst the new arrivals. "And how the heck did you get Red X to join you guys?"

"Let's just say Blackfire's made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Red X quipped as the four heroes leapt forward so they formed a shallow arc behind the Titans. "Personally though, part of me would probably have done this for free." Robin was the most annoyed to see Red X amongst his opponents and he repositioned himself so that he was the closest one to the thief. He might not be the real Robin but the grudge the real Robin felt for Red X was just as present inside the copy.

"Just because it's even, that doesn't mean you're going to win. You should know we've overcome bigger odds than this," Robin warned as each fighter chose their opponent. Jacqueline focused her attention on Cyborg, Jinx picked Raven, Kid Flash squared off with Beast Boy, and Blackfire was going to make certain that Starfire was all hers.

"I've waited for a day like this for a long time sis."

"You will regret this decision you have made sister," Starfire replied.

"I would most certainly love to see you try. As the humans would say – bring it on."

"It shall be brought sister!"

For a brief moment…the world stood still. It held its breath. It waited anxiously for this clash of Jump City's greatest fighters…


	25. Chapter 24: Clash of the Titans

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Clash of the Titans**

**"Titans, go!"** The battle drums had been sounded. The dogs of war had been unleashed. All hell broke loose within the Titans Tower as the two opposing forces clashed in an all-out, do-or-die, and winner-take-all brawl for supremacy.

Out of the front windows the tower, the Tamaranean siblings burst out into the open air, beginning a deadly dogfight along the building's exterior. Blackfire chased her sister up the side of the building, riddling the exterior with missed starbolts while Starfire returned fire with a handful of her own. The once quiet, undisturbed rooftop, patrolled frequently by military copters, joined the chaos as the siblings crashed through the edge of the building. Blackfire had her sister in a tight hold as she brought the Titan to the rooftops in a thunderous crash. A point-blank blast from her eyes knocked the older sister off and crashing into the pole of the Titans' basketball net. The net crumbled forward as a result of the impact, leaving it wobbling over a dazed Blackfire.

"Why do you always have to be such a pain?" Blackfire shouted in frustration as she grabbed the basketball net by the base of its pole and uprooted it. An oncoming Starfire was then batted out of the air and into a series of rooftop transformers. "You always seem to know how to ruin things for me, don't you?" Blackfire was furious at this point – all the bottled rage from the past several months began overflowing from the heat of battle. She rushed over to her fallen sister, not even giving Starfire a chance to recover as Blackfire hoisted her back to her feet and proceeded to vent her rage in the only way she knew how – physically. "I was finally beginning to enjoy myself!" Her words accompanied a forceful strike straight into Starfire's gut, doubling the Titan over. "I had friends!" Now a left hook to the jaw toppled Starfire over again. "I had a home!" Starfire was still struggling to regain her senses when her sister hoisted into the air, high above her head. "And you had to go and ruin it all!" Her fury climaxed as she threw Starfire straight down into the ground with such force that the roof caved in and the two plummeted to the floor below.

"Now stay down sister, if you know what's good for you," Blackfire sternly warned as she brushed off the dust and dirt from the rubble. Somewhere in the pile of debris was her sister, hopefully conscious enough to have heard the warning. Whether she heard it or not was irrelevant though, as the Titan suddenly burst out from underneath a pile of rubble with a new bout of strength and resolve. Blackfire didn't even have time to contemplate how her sister could've shrugged off such a fury of assaults before Starfire rammed her at top speed, carrying straight through several walls of the tower.

Meanwhile, several floors below the battle between the remaining members of the Titans continued their fight with the other heroes. Robin and Red X were destroying the kitchen with collateral damage as their weapons clashed loudly. "This isn't your fight Red X! You can still just walk away and we won't hurt you!" Robin sternly warned, trying to play on the thief's self-centered motivation in life.

"Afraid this is my fight kid. Nobody messes with my girl, especially not you!" Red X grunted in response as he managed to push the Boy Wonder up against the counter. This worked against the thief's favour, though, as Robin managed to get a leg up against X's chest and push him off. The tables turned quickly when Robin pressed the length of his bo staff up against Red X's throat, halted just shy of crushing his windpipe by one of his wrist blades. His free hand scrambled to find the nearest item to boost his range, which he found in the form of a Teflon-coated frying pan. A somewhat unorthodox method but slamming the frying pan into the side of Robin's head proved effective nonetheless in knocking the Boy Wonder to the ground.

However, Red X wasn't able to keep a hold on the frying pan for very long as a black energy from the Titan's renowned mystic pried the makeshift weapon out of his hand. Revenge was swift as the cookware was slammed into his face before being carried off to the one controlling it. As Raven was too busy focusing on handling Red X, Jinx, who Raven had been fighting with before attacking Red X, rushed up from behind and kicked the legs right out from under her. Regaining her sense of orientation, Raven was able to roll out of the way in time avoid Jinx's heel from slamming into her. Jinx pressed her attack, striking repeatedly at the defending Raven, who was forced to constantly raise force fields to stop the strikes. Luckily for Jinx, Raven could never hold off melee attacks for very long; a quick, low kick to the side of Raven's knee, staggered the girl, leaving her unable to defend Jinx's palm strike to the face.

"You seem to be in pretty good shape for somebody who almost had their arm broken in half not too long ago," Jinx remarked, a little perplexed at Raven's near-perfect physical health now. It was a moot point at the moment and Jinx was more focused on putting Raven back into the injured state. Just as Jinx was about to unleash some of her magic, Raven melded into the floor and vanished from sight. "Hey get back here!" Jinx shouted, though the only response was a hand composed of black magic rising out from the ground below Jinx, taking hold and pulling the teenager into the darkness as well.

"Jinx!" Kid Flash was the first to notice their teammate being pulled away from the common battlefield, leaving it down to six people in the main room. There wasn't any time to worry about Jinx, though, as a green gorilla was dangerously close by. Once again, Kid Flash was dealing with the problem was facing a significantly larger opponent and lacking in means of taking him down easily. If Robin could take down huge monsters easily, then so could Kid Flash! Weaving past several swings of Beast Boy's massive fists, Kid Flash moved in close to bring his knee straight into the beast's jaw. Despite the staggering blow, combined with a lack of maneuverability in the air, Beast Boy was able to grab Kid Flash by the leg and fling him across the room. The blow was a lot harder than Kid Flash would've expected and he had trouble regaining his senses as Beast Boy closed in.

When his vision managed to straighten out, the first thing he saw was Beast Boy being blind-sided by a flung Cyborg, crashing both of the Titans into the computer terminals along the wall.

"Need a hand?" Jacqueline asked, extending a hand to a surprised Kid Flash.

"No, but I could a change in opponents," Kid Flash grinned before accepting his comrade's help getting back to his feet. The once bitter feud had shifted to a mutual respect for one another and Jacqueline was more than willing to let Kid Flash handle Cyborg for a while. "You know, you should consider throwing some extra things into that guitar."

"Like what?"

"I remember seeing a girl on some cartoon that fought with a guitar. I should find it for you."

"How about after we beat those two?" Jacqueline smirked as she motioned over to the recovering Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Just try to keep up," Kid Flash proposed before dashing behind Beast Boy. "Wedgie!" Always the prankster, Kid Flash unleashed the terrible fury of the atomic wedgie, stretching Beast Boy's boxers to their very limits before capping it off over his head. He managed to squeeze in enough time for a quick laugh at the Titan's expense before running off again.

"Let's see you outrun this!" Kid Flash's tricks caught Cyborg's attention, who began using his computer targeting systems to track the red and gold human bullet. In terms of sheer speed, both Cyborg and Kid Flash were very fast thinkers and Kid Flash quickly found himself narrowly dodging exceptionally well-aimed sonic blasts. Kid Flash accomplished what he aimed for though and when he bolted out of the room, the ever-determined Cyborg gave chase.

"Idiot better know what he's doing," Jacqueline sighed lightly as she watched her comrade lure the Titan away from the others. Immediately behind her, Beast Boy was still struggling to free to his head from the clutches of his boxers. Freedom was a short-lived victory, as he was immediately decked in the face with the butt-end of Jacqueline's guitar. The Teen Titans made her look bad in front of the leader of France…her honour demanded retribution.

"You are so going to pay for that," Beast Boy snapped as he recovered from the blow.

"Come on BB, you know you don't want to do this," Jacqueline attempted another pleading to rationality. There wasn't going to be any success since it wasn't even the real Beast Boy she was pleading with – the replica was loyal only to the Legion. Actions were Beast Boy's response, who transformed into a cobra and sprang towards Jacqueline with fangs bared. Only a lightning-fast reflex was able to save Jacqueline's life, snatching the snake out of the air with a gloved hand firmly clasped around the serpent's mouth. "Ha! Too quick for you!"

Jacqueline quickly regretted those words when Beast Boy shifted his form again and she was no longer holding onto the snout of a snake but the trunk of an elephant. "Oh Christ on a crepe…" Jacqueline accepted her fate though with as much tenacity as you could about flung into the ceiling like a rag doll. The sweet embrace of the floor would not await her on her return trip, though, as a bronco now stood in place of the elephant. His hind legs bucked out with tremendous force, launching Jacqueline across the room and into the back of the couch. In a sort of silver lining, she at least managed to land on the cushions after bouncing off the back of the couch. Didn't do her back much good after the fact.

"Zat's it…now I'm getting angry," Jacqueline groaned. "You're just leaving me no choice but to-" Her words ended abruptly when she finally got up and saw yet another beast waiting for her on the other side – this time a tyrannosaurus rex. "And I laughed when my dad tried to teach me gigantic reptilian combat tactics…" Jacqueline shrieked in panic as the dinosaur took a bite out of the couch, narrowly missing the girl who dashed for freedom between the beast's legs. The large, open main chambers provided too much space for the dinosaur to move, so she merely lured him into the more narrow confines of the hallway, where he would be forced to take the form of something smaller and easier to handle. A lion, while still dangerous, was a far easier opponent Jacqueline compared to the previous form Beast Boy held.

Back in the living room, which now only housed the dueling Red X and Robin, the two warriors now had more freedom to move about and use the environment to their advantage. The overturned kitchen table provided cover for the Boy Wonder from a barrage of the thief's shurikens. When one of the sharpened tips of the shuriken pierced the table inches from his head, Robin knew that it was time to stop hiding. Leaping from behind the table, Robin flung a trio of explosive discs in order to suppress Red X's advance. His teleporter, though, allowed him to dodge the attack and rematerialize above Robin for a quick counter-attack. The twin wrist blades clashed loudly against the bo staff, pushing Robin down momentarily before he managed to push Red X away from.

Robin pressed the attack, unleashing a furious assault of thrusts and swipes with his staff. Sparks began to fly from the sheer force of the impacts, pushing Red X further into the center of the room. It was a level of ferocity in Robin that Red X hadn't seen in a long time…perhaps even never before. Blocking each strike send pangs of pain through his arms, which he could only hope that Robin was feeling similarly. The one thing going for Red X, however, was the knowledge that Robin couldn't keep this level of force up forever. The Boy Wonder's bo staff was already beginning to show signs of wear and tear as nicks and scratches became more apparent along its length. In a move to disarm his opponent, Red X locked his blades against Robin's staff with one wrist blade below the weapon and one above it. With a forceful motion of his hands in opposite directions perpendicular to the bo staff, Red X was able to twist the staff out of Robin's hands and send it flying into the air.

The quick technique didn't level the playing field as much as Red X had hoped it would. No sooner did the staff leave Robin's fingertips did he move in closer to engage hand-to-hand. After driving his elbow straight into Red X's jaw, Robin hurled the thief across the room and slamming into the overturned kitchen table from moments ago. "Looks like somebody's been working out since the last time we fought," Red X tried to keep his spirits up despite facing an impressive offensive force.

"You could say I've been waiting for a moment like this," Robin remarked, catching his bo staff from the air.

"You and me both kid." The two warriors held their position for a brief moment, analyzing each other's stance and trying to predict the other's next move. Neither wanted to commit just yet…not until victory would be assured through their actions. Red X could see it in his mind already – he would start it off by launching a few X's at Robin, which would force the Boy Wonder to rush in for an attack; after parrying a few well-placed strikes he could intercept Robin's staff and hurl him through the overturned table; the blow should stun Robin long enough for Red X to get a solid hit in to knock-out the bothersome Titan. It was a perfect battle plan.

Launching the first strike, Red X fired a trio of X's out of his palms. As predicted, Robin batted the projectiles aside before charging in to prevent further barrages from the thief. With blades drawn once more, Red X and Robin exchanged a rapid series of blows and strikes. Neither made contact but Red X was just defending and waiting for the ideal moment to launch his real attack. When opportunity came, Red X retracted his blades and rushed in close to grab hold of the Titan leader and hurled him straight into the overturned table. However, one thing didn't go quite as planned.

"Oh shit!" Red X shouted in disbelief when he realized the fatal flaw in his plan – the table's surface had been littered with his shurikens from earlier in the fight. Instead of going through the table, Robin was impaled on several of the lodged shuriken, including a prominent red spike protruding from his upper chest. "Blackfire is going to have my head when she's see this!" Red X's mind teetered on the brink of seizure from sheer panic until he noticed something peculiar about the seemingly deceased Teen Titan. "Wait a second, where's the blo-HURK!" Robin sprang to life all of a sudden, grabbing the black-caped warrior by the neck and hoisting him into the air effortlessly.

"I told you, you should've walked away," Robin said grimly as his grip continued to tighten around the thief's throat.

"No way…you could've lived through that," Red X gasped as he tried to get what little air he could through his larynx. "Unless…you weren't alive to start!" One of his wrist blades whirled to life seconds before Red X dragged it across Robin's forearm, severing it and freeing himself from the imposter's clutches. Red X pried off the severed arm that still held onto his neck, looking at the circuitry and wires that dangled in plain sight. "Fancy toys. Guess I don't need to worry about hurting you then!" His second wrist blade spun up as he slashed at Robin's other arm, cutting it off at the elbow. With his opponent completely defenseless now, Red X began to slash viciously at the doppelganger, leaving large gashes that exposed more of the circuitry that made the machine run. Red X figured that it was time to put this machine imposter out of its misery, ramming his buzz saw of death straight into the machine's chest and letting it chew up the circuitry within for a few moments. Once he was satisfied that the machine was destroyed, he let it collapse to the ground in a sparking heap of circuits and scrap metal.

"You did good kid but you're definitely not as good as the real thing," Red X remarked before grabbing his radio so he could let the others know of this turn of events. "This is Red X calling everyone – these aren't the real Titans. You're fighting machine replicas I repeat, you're fighting machine replicas."

With the news that these weren't the real Titans, the others should be able to fight with use all their strength now.

--------------

"Did I just hear you right Red X?" Jinx replied over the radio after hearing the news. "Are you sure?"

"Either that or Boy Wonder's been a robot all these years without anyone knowing."

"Well, okay. If you say so." Jinx was somewhat reluctant to believe the news at first, especially since an error would result in one dead Titan. However, it would better explain how Raven was able to be battle ready so quickly. Might also explain how Raven was shrugging off having several ceiling panels dropped onto her just seconds ago. "If you're a machine, how the heck are you able to use Raven's powers?"

"Trade secret," Raven remarked as several panels were pulled off of the wall and flung at Jinx. The fact that Raven wasn't denying the robot part was pretty much all the confirmation that Jinx needed at this point. She had two sources confirming the same thing – which meant she could really let loose and show this imposter what it meant to fight. After a series of backflips to avoid the flying panels, Jinx counter-attacked by causing several more roof panels to drop on Raven's position. When the dust settled from the attack, Raven still held her position with the black energy shield above her. Jinx didn't care too much for that though, as she was already in Raven's face, driving her knee right into the Titan's gut. With no need for remaining discrete, Raven lashed out using her brute mechanical strength now. The missed punch put a deep dent into the wall, eliciting a semi-impressed whistle from Jinx.

"You might be a bit stronger now…" Jinx mused, ducking under another strike from Raven and countering with a rising elbow to the jaw. "But you still fight like a boy!" With a well-aimed roundhouse to the face, Raven was knocked into the nearby wall with noticeably metallic clang upon impact. Raven was now in the precarious position of staring at the glowing pink aura around Jinx's outstretched hand. "I hate machines."

Blasting a human with her hex magics didn't generate much of a result but all machines had a tendency to breakdown violently upon being hit by her hexes. The Raven imposter was no different, which began to spark and convulse as its systems went haywire. A loud crackle accompanied by a small display of sparks concluded the end of the Raven look-alike. It ended not with a bang…but a fizzle.

"Machines never really liked me either," she chuckled lightly to herself as she gave the smoking machine a light tap with her foot.

--------------

Several floors away, Jacqueline had just received the same news from Red X but she was less able to act on it at the moment. Hell, she wasn't even able to acknowledge the call since she currently keeping an emerald lion from clamping its jaws around her rather tender and vulnerable head. "Good god, 'aven't you ever zought of breath mints?" Jacqueline grunted as she struggled to get her legs up from underneath the animal so she could kick it off. If only she could get a hand free as her guitar lay only a couple of feet away from her, currently useless without a hand to guide it.

"Jacqueline!" A familiar voice called out from down the hall. Glancing up, she saw the red and yellow Kid Flash standing at the end of the hallway.

"My guitar!" Jacqueline called out for help. Quickly taking heed, Kid Flash grabbed the guitar off the ground and swung it with as much force as he could, knocking the beast off of Jacqueline but also shattering the instrument into a dozen pieces in the process. Jacqueline wasn't sure whether to feel elated or depressed at the sight of her ruined weapon. "You broke my guitar!" Jacqueline shouted as she jumped back to her feet.

"You said your guitar," Kid Flash explained. "Besides, I've seen you hit things with it plenty of times without it breaking."

"Zat's cause my powers make it unbreakable in my 'ands. I wanted you to give it to me, not use it."

"Could've told me that a little sooner."

"Where's Cyborg?" Jacqueline realized that if the hero was here, then his opponent shouldn't be too far behind.

"Oh right, him…" Kid Flash answered, as if just remembering something very important. He grabbed Jacqueline by the arm and dashed into the room beside them just seconds before a sonic blast flew past their former locale. "What's the big deal anyways? It's just a guitar."

"My father hand-crafted zat instrument for your information," Jacqueline explained as she temporarily sealed the door behind her. "He gave it to me ze day zat I finished my training and took up ze title 'Jack of All Trades' from him. It was more zan just a instrument…"

"Okay, I get it. I'm sorry I broke your guitar but I thought that was the only way to save you. I'm sure you can agree that replacing a guitar is a lot easier than replacing your crushed skull." Several loud poundings on the door reminded the two that there was a pair of renegade Titans on the other side, dying to continue what had been so rudely interrupted. "Got an idea how we can stop those two?"

Quickly scanning the room, Jacqueline noticed that they were in an old storeroom with a huge number of mechanical, electrical equipment, and old building supplies. "I've got an idea…I'll need those lightning fast arms of yours." Jacqueline took Kid Flash by the wrist and dragged him off to get to work. Time was of the essence but with Kid Flash on her side, she had all the time in the world.

While the heroes worked, the Titans continued to pound away at the door. Unlike some of the door in Titans Tower, this one was particularly well built. After several failed attempted, Cyborg grew impatient and simply blasted the door down with his sonic cannon. The massive storage room was barely lit and thanks to Jacqueline's tampering the lights wouldn't work either. Cyborg's shoulder light propped up and cast a bright, white beam of light upon a lone figure standing near the center of the room.

"I surrender!" Jacqueline shouted, shooting both hands immediately into the air at the sight of the Titans. Cyborg wasn't in the mood for prisoners though and took aim with his sonic, which Jacqueline completely expected. Shrieking in fake distress, Jacqueline dashed past some large crates and disappeared from sight, prompting the Titans to give chance. The Titans figured they had the French heroine cornered for good now, as she had run straight into a dead-end in the maze of crates and boxes.

"End of the line froggie," Beast Boy taunted as the two began to close in.

"You know, it was Napoleon Bonaparte who said to never interrupt one's enemy when he is making a mistake. I, however, feel I must point out yours." Jacqueline flashed that wicked grin of hers that just screamed 'I know something you don't know' before pointing to something behind the Titans. Standing at the far end of the room was Kid Flash alongside a most unusual contraption that consisted of a large cylindrical core wrapped thousands of times over with copper wiring, all attached to a large electrical generator. Cyborg recognized it immediately – it was one gigantic electromagnet.

"Say hello to my little friend," Kid Flash remarked before pulling the switch. Cyborg and Beast Boy looked to Jacqueline with the sort of 'we're screwed' expressions on their face, to which she merely grinned and waved good-bye to them. Seconds later, the two Titans were pulled across the room and into the giant electromagnet. The cyan lights of Cyborg's armour began to fade while Beast Boy appeared to melt into a gray metallic blob upon the magnet until Kid Flash decided to shut the device off.

"Fried like frog legs," Jacqueline chuckled as she walked up to admire her handy work.

"Oh right, magnetic fields screw up computers don't they?"

"Screwed our BB clone up real nice too. Looks like he's made out of some sort of liquid metal…"

"Brilliant plan by the way."

"Couldn't 'ave done without you."

--------------

On the rooftop, the battle was becoming more and more violent as the two sisters exchanged starbolts and bitter words. After having leveled most of the upper floor with their fighting, they progressed back to the rooftops themselves. Starfire led the way, unwillingly though, as she tackled through the ceiling of the top floor and into yet another piece of rooftop hardware.

"What the hell has gotten into you sister? You were supposed to be the good one!" Blackfire shouted as she pinned her sister against the twisted metal of the former mechanical device. "What happened to all that talk about justice and duty?"

"Like you care sister. You're just bitter cause I'm doing a better job than you ever could," Starfire snapped back before breaking free and slugging her sister with a hard right hook. "Let's face it, you were never going to be happy with me around still. This is how you always wanted it to end."

"I told you, I'm not like that anymore!" Blackfire angrily shouted back and fired a salvo of starbolts. Starfire expertly weaved past the barrage and delivered another powerful blow to the elder sister, knocking her across the basketball court. "You told me it was never too late to turn back…that it was never too late to start over. Was that all just a lie?"

"One that I could not believe that you fell for. But let us be honest sister, you have never forgiven me, have you?"

"It was on my to-do list," Blackfire grunted as she got back to her feet. "I can't believe I let you manipulate me like this! I honestly changed because of what you said."

"No you have not sister. You simply stopped committing crimes. You are still the same self-centered, jealous, and spoiled child that cannot accept that her sister was always loved more than her. Who would imagine that beneath so much hatred and anger, all you are is a lonely little girl who wants to be loved. It is kind of funny…in a pathetic way." Her mocking words were even capped off with a smug, little chuckle under her breath.

"Shut up!" Blackfire shouted at the top of her lungs, her eyes burning red with rage. "Why should I be jealous of you and your self-righteous ways? Maybe if you could open those damned naïve eyes of yours you'd realize that you wouldn't be standing here on Earth if it weren't for me. Even after they gave you the throne, I still followed their orders and looked after you like the accident-prone little brat you were. You were the self-absorbed one! You were the one enjoying her popularity so much you couldn't even realize how miserable your own sister was."

"Oh I knew. I just did not care. It was your fault for being so weak in the first place. Maybe if you had spent less time looking after me and more time trying to prove the council wrong, you would not have been hated so much."

"I said shut up! Another word and I'll-"  
"You will what? Fly off to another mountain to wallow in your own self-pity like back on Tamaran?"

"H…how did you?"

"I followed you once. I almost felt sorry for you…almost. I just reminded myself that you can never reclaim yourself in our people's eyes…so there was no point wasting time worrying about you. You were a lost cause from the start – they kept you around simply because it would be dishonouring to our parents if they tossed you aside like the worthless troq that you were."

A girl could only take so much abuse before snapping. With an echoing cry of rage and hatred, Blackfire sprang forth and crash-tackled her sister to the ground. Even Starfire was taken back by the sudden ferocity of the attack and wasn't even able to utter another word as Blackfire began pounding her fists into Starfire. "I said not another word!" Blackfire roared, punching away with all her might. "Ungrateful little bitch!" Almost eighteen years worth of bottled-away rage spilt out as Blackfire continued pounding until she was doing nothing more than smashing the floor of the rooftops. Blackfire never even noticed that when her sister's head was smashed to pieces beneath her fists, only circuits, wires, and metal came flying out of it. Only a ruined, headless corpse of the mechanical clone remained with a weary Blackfire still straddling its waist.

"This is Red X calling everyone – these aren't the real Titans. You're fighting machine replicas I repeat, you're fighting machine replicas." The voice of her friend crackled over the radio, finally snapping the girl back to reality. It was only then that she realized what had just happened…the surge of emotions and memories flooding back to her as if just awakening from a violent dream.

"What…what have I done?" she muttered in horror under her breath. She looked at her bloodied hand, cut and scraped from punching into twisted, sharp metal and concrete so forcefully. There was a strange feeling pulsing through her body – one that she hadn't really felt in years, if ever before. She was…trembling. Her hand was shaking and she couldn't get it stop without using her other hand as restraint.

The body might've been a fake…but the emotions Blackfire felt were real. In her mind, a mechanical clone or not, she had just killed her sister…

And for the first time in her life…the thought horrified her utterly.


	26. Chapter 25: Words I Couldn't Say

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Words I Couldn't Say**

**"Here's the last of them,"** Kid Flash grunted as he and Jacqueline set the last of the Titan doppelgangers, Cyborg, on an examining table set up in the main living room. On other, smaller, tables were the others or at least what remained of them: most of Raven had been completely fried through short-circuiting; the remains of Beast Boy were held in a large kitchen pot; the Starfire robot had its head completely smashed into dust; and their Robin copy had been perforated severely. Cyborg was the only one that was in any decent condition though even then the prognosis for finding something useful was grim. He had been put into an intense magnetic field less than an hour ago – there was a good chance everything stored in his memory banks were completely fried. However, if anybody could pull a miracle out of this situation it was the resident expert of everything – the Jack-of-All-Trades.

"I know these aren't the real Titans…but this is still a little damn creepy for my tastes," Jinx remarked as she looked at Starfire's battered remains. Blackfire certainly did a number on her. With the exception of Blackfire, all of the 'heroes' had gathered in the living room for a sort of debriefing, though mostly it was because they had little else to do now. With the discovery that what they had thought to be the Titans were, in fact, imposters they had been left with more questions and no answers.

"At least ze other ones have something zat makes it obvious they're fake," Jacqueline replied, referring to the fact that the Cyborg imposter was physically undamaged and, thus, still looked completely like the real thing. "If I'm lucky, I can pull somezing out zis guy's noggin. Hopefully somezing zat'll help us find where ze real Titans are."

"Who knew the Legion had this kind of resource at their disposal," Kid Flash remarked as he watched Jacqueline do her work. "I'm wondering how they could've made the switch without anybody noticing."

"Well it's not like anybody was expecting it," Jinx answered, taking a seat on a nearby kitchen counter. "We were all too busy focusing on our own little problems, including the Titans. Everything that happened was probably just a ruse so that the Titans would never expect an attack on the inside."

"Knew that angel girl was bad news from that start. I wish Cyborg would've listened for five seconds…"

"Slade's about as tough as zey come," Jacqueline commented, recalling the few stories that Raven told her about the Titan's arch-nemesis. "From what Raven told me, he's ze kind of guy who's always got somezing up his sleeve. Right from ze start he's had every step planned out and ze Titans walked right into his trap."

"I bet Slade didn't count on us screwing things up," Kid Flash boasted, giving a few firm pats to the disabled Cyborg to emphasize his point.

"There's going to be more to this than just a bunch of imposter Titans. For starters Slade still has the Titans and this is going on the assumption that they're still alive."

"Zey're too valuable to kill just yet but we're going to have to hurry if we're going to save zem," Jacqueline spoke, addressing Jinx's original worries. It wouldn't be too long before the Titans outlived their usefulness to Slade and once the full story about the imposter Titans hits the media that might just be the case.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Kid Flash said, confident as always. "You scrounge through the heads of these robots, find where they came from, and then we go in and bust some skulls. How hard could it be?"

"Well for starters kid," Red X finally spoke up. "There's a whole city out there that's without its precious heroes anymore and if I still remember the news correctly all those villains that were broken out of prison are still on the loose. Secondly, I'm out of here." With that last remark, Red X simply headed for the exit without even glancing back for a second.

"What? You're just leaving us like that?" Jinx questioned, surprised by her former teammate's course of action.

"Deal was to beat the Titans and I've done that. Nothing said I had to go and rescue them. I fulfilled my part of the deal so if you'll excuse me I'm going to make sure Blackfire's side of the deal is also fulfilled." Though clearly annoyed with Red X's decision, none of the others voiced their opinion. There was no changing the mind of that self-centered thief. It was hoping for too much that he would actually help out of some 'goodness' in his heart.

"Bah, who needs him anyways? We'll be just fine with the four of us."

"Not sure where you learned to count Kid Flash, but there's only three of us here. Blackfire locked herself up in Star's room and hasn't come on yet – kept muttering something about psychopathic tendencies. I'm…not exactly sure if we can count on her for a while." Jinx's news wasn't going to shake Kid Flash's confidence though. Even with three he figured rescuing the Titans wouldn't be too hard.

"Fine, then the three of us will do it ourselves!"

"You broke my guitar zough. I'm not going to be fighting any evil until I can build me a replacement," Jacqueline added while prying open a panel on the side of Cyborg's head. "I've got way too much on my plate to do any crime fighting."

"Well…um, try and hurry up then. Jinx and I can keep the city safe in the meantime. Besides, there aren't any alarms going off so the city's perfectly safe."

"That's because they're not on you doofus," Jinx remarked harshly as she hopped off the counter and headed over to the main computer terminal. After pushing a few keystrokes, she got the crime-detecting systems running again. No more than five seconds passed before red sirens began to blare wildly and a map of the city, decorated with dozens of red dots, appeared on the main screen.

"Have fun you two, I'll join you as soon as I can. I'll let you know where to go for each one, okay?" Jacqueline gave a quick, short wave before Jinx and Kid Flash bolted out of the room. After the two left, Jacqueline sighed lightly to herself and sat down on the couch, staring solemnly at the robotic Titan remains. "Ze Titan's or ze city's safety..." she muttered softly to herself as her eyes continued to pan between the image of the city and the robotic Titans. "Zose Titans better keep zemselves alive…" Jacqueline groaned as she abandoned her work on finding the Titans and got up from the couch. She had to protect the city – it's what the Titans would do if the situation were reversed. However, before she could go and start playing hero again, Jacqueline would need a new weapon to fight with. Chances were there was enough junk in the dozens of storage rooms in the tower to make a new guitar. Hell, she might as well throw in some new amenities while she was at it.

--------------

"Sister! Sister where are you?" A prepubescent young Starfire called out. Her voice echoed through the halls of the Tamaranean palace, though she got no answer in return. The young princess of Tamaran sported a few, small scraps and bumps across her exposed forearms but her concern was focused more on locating her older sister than her own injuries. Having searched all of her sister's usual locations, Starfire was beginning to wonder where her sister might've run off to at this late hour of the night. "Excuse me," Starfire said as waved down a nearby patrolling guard. "Have you seen my sister pass through here?" Sadly, the guard didn't have any information for her and Starfire was forced to continue her search of the palace.

After wandering for several more minutes, Starfire reluctantly retired to her bedchambers to try and think of a new approach to her problem. The palace was simply too large of a place for her to search all on her own and it was unlikely she'd be able to recruit any help in finding her sister either. Starfire ventured out onto the balcony, hoping that her sister would be there…though it had been the first place she searched for the elusive Blackfire. It was Blackfire's most common place to run to when she needed a bit of solitude but alas she was not here either. Starfire sighed in reluctance as she gazed out to the darkening horizon. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she caught a glimpse of somebody flying out of the palace at high speed. There was no mistaking that behavior and female figure for anybody other than her sister. Now why would Blackfire be leaving at this hour of the day? It was late…there were many dangerous creatures that roamed the plains of Tamaran at night. Despite all logical reasoning against it, Starfire immediately took off after her sister, hoping to put an end to this puzzling mystery.

Blackfire had always been prone to vanishing all of a sudden, usually for several hours at a time. Could this be where the elder sister had vanished to so many times in the past? Instead of outright confronting her sister, which never worked in the past, Starfire merely followed at a safe distance – waiting and hoping for answers. Perhaps this would provide an opportunity for the young princess to catch a glimpse into what her sister was really like. Whenever she was around Blackfire acted so…unnatural, as if putting on a smile so that Starfire would never be suspicious. Her sister was complex to say the least and there were many things about her that Starfire figured she was never meant to understand for many years.

The cover of darkness made it easy for Starfire to remain unnoticed, though also made it more difficult to keep track of the speedy older sister. Eventually, Starfire was led to a large series of rock formations several miles out from the palace – a quiet, isolated region of the Tamaranean plains where the rocky, perilous terrain kept it safe from the plain-dwelling hazards of the night. It also provided plenty of hidings places for Starfire to keep an eye on her sister. Taking refuge in one of the masking shadows of the rock formation, Starfire watched her sister set down in the middle of a small clearing…what was she up to?

"Gah! I can't take this for much longer!" Blackfire shouted aloud as she dropped to her knees and clenched her fists tightly around lengths of her hair. "I swear one of these days I'm going to punch that big, stupid Galfore right in her his big, stupid face!" Starfire had to clasp a hand over her mouth just to prevent an audible gasp from escaping. Aside from in the midst of a brawl, Starfire had never seen this kind of anger from her sister before. Sure, her sister had a temper and got angry or annoyed regularly, but she had never seen this level of…passion in her rage. What could be prompting such malcontent in her sister though?

"It's not fair…I didn't do anything wrong and they got pissed at me," Blackfire grumbled as she shifted her posture, hugging her legs close to her chest and resting her chin upon her knees. "They're just going to keep using me as a scapegoat as long as I stay here. I should just leave…they probably wouldn't even care if I left either. Hell, they'd probably be happier that way."

Her sister's voice was fading softer and softer as she rambled on, prompting Starfire to try and move closer to hear better. Unfortunately, not being mindful of her surroundings resulted in nearly losing her footing on the rocks. Though she easily avoided falling, the cascading pebbles down the ledge she was hiding upon made enough noise to garners Blackfire's attention. It was so eerily silent that night that one could hear a person breathing heavily from a few meters away, which just made Starfire even more nervous. Rather than risk upsetting her sister by being discovered, Starfire quickly bolted from the area – flying as fast as she could to get far, far away from that place. Besides…it was late and if Galfore caught Starfire so far from the temple at night he would be very upset with her.

Starfire retreated back to the safety of her palace bedchambers. There, she decided to wait until Blackfire returned and then she would confront her sister about what she had witnessed earlier that evening. During the wait, Starfire tried to make sense of everything she heard from her sister. Blackfire was upset about something but she didn't know what at first. After a while, though, she realized it might have something to do with the incident that happened earlier that day. However, it didn't quite make sense for her. Why would Galfore be upset with Blackfire? Her sister was the one that saved her from the rampaging stampede of orthox. There were many things in the adult world that Starfire did not quite understand. That seemed to be a consistent feature of her life. Her sister regularly accused her of being naïve and sheltered and even then Starfire didn't quite get what she was being sheltered from. Nobody ever seemed to make a conscious effort to 'shelter' her from the world, at least no more than a K'Norfka should.

Hours gradually ticked by with no sign of her sister's return. Blackfire periodically switched positions from sitting next to her door where she would hear her sister in her room, or at the balcony where she would see her sister return from the plains. Starfire was beginning to wonder if she'd even be able to stay awake long enough to confront her sister when the time came.

"What in the name of X'Hal are you doing out here?" A voice suddenly snapped Starfire out of a trance-like state. At first, the young princess was completely disorientated until she realized that she had fallen asleep on the balcony and that the voice addressing her was none other than her older sister. Letting out a quiet yawn, Starfire slowly got back to her feet and faced her sister, who didn't appear to be very amused at Starfire's choice of sleeping arrangements. "Only you would willing choose to sleep on a cold balcony rather than your own bed. Galfore would be furious if he saw you like this."

"Oh…I am sorry, I was…admiring the stars and I guess I fell asleep," Starfire explained, trying her best not to arouse any suspicion in her sister. If Blackfire knew her sister had followed her, it would probably ruin any chance of getting a word in. It was bad enough that her sister was annoyed with her already.

Her sister's raised eyebrow worried Starfire; it always meant that Blackfire was suspiciously analyzing what the other person said. "Since when did you do that? When you're tired you always B-lined it for the bed or the next best thing to it. Now get to sleep Koriand'r, before you wake somebody up."

"Umm…there has been something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Starfire spoke up as her sister was about to return to her own bedchambers.

"Can't this wait until the morning? I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"It's…about what happened earlier today."

"Figured. Listen, I'm in no mood to talk and I'm in even less of a mood to talk about that. There's nothing to talk about either so just go to bed and leave me alone."

"Galfore got mad at you didn't he?" Starfire persisted, for once not being discouraged by her sister's usual hostilities. "Why did he get angry?"

"You almost got seriously hurt out there Koriand'r…of course he's going to be upset. That's just how he shows his concern for you. It's nothing for you to get worried about, okay?"

"But you were the one who saved me! There's no reason for Galfore to be upset with you."

"It's…complicated sister. It's my problem so just drop it and go to sleep!" Blackfire's raising voice was giving Starfire apprehensions to continue.

"What's your 'problem' sister? Please stop hiding things from me like you always do!"

"I said drop it!" Blackfire snapped suddenly as she spun around harshly, striking Starfire across the face with the back of her hand. Catching the younger sister off-guard entirely, Starfire was nearly knocked right off her feet and just barely managed to keep her balance afterwards. While Starfire's eyes echoed a feeling of sudden betrayal and confusion, only a remorseless, stoic glare resided in her sister's. It was Starfire's first, real time of seeing the resentment that dwelled within her sister's heart. Not a single word was exchanged…only a reinforcing silence that further widened the division between the siblings. Each echoing footstep of her sister's departure felt more painful than the backhand. If she had known that this would be the last time she'd see her sister in many months, she might've said something before the door slammed shut…instead, she remained silent and eventually retreated to her bed.

The next day…Blackfire was gone and the rift between the sisters continued to widen ever since.

--------------

Lying upon the red, circular bed of her younger sister, Blackfire had fallen into a reclusive depression since the end of the battle against the Titan imposters. Even when the sirens rang out throughout the tower, Blackfire refused to move from her spot and continued her sullen stare at the ceiling. Perhaps being in her sister's room was not the best place to hide considering that it was that person who was at the root of Blackfire's woes…however, it also helped her to think…of her sister…of her home.

Having barely moved for quite some time, Starfire's pet, Silkie, had taken it as a sign that using Blackfire's stomach as a sleeping pad was allowed. Normally she would've protested but she couldn't even muster up the motivation to shoo the little worm, who was just happy to see somebody that was familiar and not an evil robot clone. Silkie nuzzled up close to her bosom, not particularly fond of the cold, metallic armour that Blackfire wore where Starfire had exposed skin.

"A little guy like you should consider yourself lucky…" Blackfire said softly, running her fingertips along Silkie's back. "All you have to do is sleep, eat, and look cute for everyone. You're too stupid to really do anything bad or hurtful. You just do whatever you want and nobody really asks for anything more of you. Lucky little bastard." There wasn't much of a response from Silkie, as he had fallen asleep long ago, but sounding her thoughts aloud had always been somewhat therapeutic for her. "It was just a fake…it wasn't the real thing. So why can't I keep I get that look out of my head? Why can't I stop thinking about that day?" Her mind had been wrought with contemplations…trying to put a rational explanation to a distasteful truth.

Carefully, Blackfire lifted the sleeping Silkie off of her and set him down on the bed beside her and then, also careful not to disturb his slumber, Blackfire got back to her feet. The morning sunlight shimmered through the bedroom window that day…it would've been too fitting for it to be raining right now. Her reflection was just barely visible at this hour of the day; it was just enough for her to reminded of her continuing problem. Through a rather wicked trick of her mind, the reflection in the glass gradually shifted to an image of her sister. Even her subconscious liked to torment her.

"Why are you so sad sister? This is not like you," the reflection spoke.

"That's just cause you've never known what I was really like…" Blackfire replied, not bothering to question her sanity at the moment and taking the opportunity to have a conversation, even if it was with her own reflection. "You couldn't understand what it was like being me."

"Was it as bad as having an older sister who never really loved you?" Her subconscious brought up a good point.

"You didn't need my love Koriand'r – you have everybody else's."

"But what I wanted was yours. The affection of people who barely know you does not come even close as the love of family. I followed you out onto those plains because I wanted to be with you sister…I looked up to you."

"You were almost killed by an orthox."

"So were you."

"I can take care of myself. You couldn't. Everybody kept yelling at me afterwards saying that I shouldn't have allowed you to follow me like that; that I should've gotten you out of there sooner. You were trying to be like a person you shouldn't have."

"I felt you were a good, respectable person."

"I'm not. I'm just a chlorbag varblernelk. You're the person who should've been imitated, not me. The council was right in making you crowned princess; I could never lead my people to a better future."

"That does not mean you still can not do good on this world. You can help lead the people of Earth to a better future like the Titans and I try to do every day."

"I can't save anybody though…" Blackfire whimpered softly. "All I do is destroy things. All I can ever feel is hatred and rage. I tried Koriand'r…I really did. I can't be like you though…my heart is not like yours. Yours glows brightly like the stars…it gives live and warmth to all those around you. Mine is merely a black hole that sucks in and destroys everything around it."

"You have always been an impatient one sister. You are expecting too much of yourself too quickly – it has not even been a year. You are willing to admit you need to better yourself and that is a good start. Now, you need to take steps in accomplishing that."

"Kind of stupid to ask a manifestation of my own thought processes this but…how?"

"You can start by stop thinking solely of yourself. There are people all around you and you will find you journey to fulfillment much easier when you are willing to share some of that burden with your friends. They will make your strengths appear stronger, shoulder you when you are weak, and believe in you when you need it most. Most importantly…they offer you their understanding and devotion. Jinx…Kid Flash…Jacqueline…Red X…you know deep in your heart that these people have the potential to be these things for you and, in turn, you can do likewise for them. Most importantly sister, you have to believe in yourself."

"I never…I never said I was sorry for hitting you that day. I promised mom and dad I would protect you and I didn't…"

"You can tell me that when you rescue me."

"What if I can't save you though?"

"You've always come through for me in the past and I know you will now."

"That'd be a little more reassuring if this wasn't just a conversation with my own subconscious."

"Then try talking to somebody who isn't your imagination." As those words echoed through her mind, the image of Starfire disappeared and her old reflection took its place, though now there was another person standing behind her.

"X!" Blackfire gasped as she turned about to see the masked thief standing right behind her. "And how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to make me question your sanity."

"It's an alien thing, don't worry about it," Blackfire quickly dismissed the thief's concern, playing the ever-so versatile 'alien' card. If she ever needed to explain an unusual behavior, regardless of the real reasons, she can just pull out that card and nobody questions her. It's particularly useful since nobody on this planet aside from her sister knew anything about Tamaranean culture, traditions, and etiquettes. "What are you still doing here anyways? I figured you'd be getting your reward and ditching this place."

"Just because I'm selfish doesn't mean I don't worry about you," Red X answered with a matter-of-factly tone. "Jinx said you were feeling pretty…disturbed."

"I'm more than…just a violent rampaging war machine, right?" Blackfire asked suddenly, moving closer and resting her head against Red X's shoulder.

"You're whatever you want to make yourself to be," he said reassuringly. It was the kind of support that her subconscious had been talking about. Much to her surprise, those few words felt very…uplifting.

"What are the others doing?"

"Last I checked Jinx and Kid Flash have run off into the city to play hero while Jacq is off trying to figure out what the Titans are up. Don't tell me you're planning on joining them."

"_We're_ going to be joining them."

"Hey, I already fulfilled my part of the deal. I helped you stop the Titans and that was all we agreed upon. There was nothing in it that mentioned saving the city, playing hero to any degree, or rescuing any Titans that were dumb enough to get themselves captured."

"Those 'dumb' Titans are the reason I'm on this planet so I think you should owe them a bit more gratitude," Blackfire remarked, staring Red X straight in the eyes now. "The Legions going to be after us eventually so our best chance for having an uninterrupted relationship is get those Titans back to doing their job and putting the Legion six feet under! Now you are going to help me keep this city from tearing itself apart for as long as it takes to save those Titans or I will personally throw your cowardly ass right into the Legion's awaiting hands without that fancy combat suit of yours. Got a problem with that?"

"N…no ma'am." It took a hell of a lot of fortitude and integrity to even shake Red X's will…and yet it seemed to liquefy like a stick of butter in a blast furnace.

"Good boy…now come along, it's time to play hero."


	27. Chapter 26: Panic on the Metro

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Panic on the Metro**

**"He's heading east down Bronson Avenue!"** Kid Flash's voice instructed over the communicator that sat on the borrowed T-car's dashboard. Jinx was behind the wheel, trying desperately to keep up with her lightning fast comrade, who was in hot pursuit of the nefarious biker, Johnny Rancid. After hitting a number of stores, Rancid was attempting a getaway but was distracted by the temptations of just causing more havoc wherever he went.

"Keep close, I'm going to cut across 3rd Street and intercept there," Jinx replied, sliding loudly through the intersection as she took a hard left. Thick black tire marks decorated the roads as Jinx weaved through the downtown traffic in an attempt to get ahead of the madman biker. Just a block over on a parallel road, Johnny Rancid ripped through the traffic without a single care for the panic that ensued as drivers and pedestrians scrambled out of the way. Every so often, Rancid aimed his blaster and fired a powerful bolt of energy into a nearby storefront of parked car. His maniacal laughter echoed through the streets, a warning to those that stood in his path.

For the past several blocks, Kid Flash had been keeping his distance from Johnny Rancid, primarily keeping an eye until Jinx could move in closer and also making sure that the innocent bystanders weren't hurt by the chaos. "You better get here soon, he's getting too dangerous for me to keep ignoring," Kid Flash said as he hopped atop of an empty car wreck. The only thing holding Kid Flash back was the fact that keeping his distance was the only thing keeping Rancid from taking potshots at pedestrians instead of just storefronts and newspaper dispensers.

"I'm almost there, just a few more seconds." Hitting the nitro-boost, the T-car took off down the road and cut through the traffic like a marlin through the sea. Wearing off several layers of rubber from the tires, the T-car ripped around the corner going full speed and nearly took out a trio of newspaper dispensers in the process. The T-car pulled a wide arc as it crossed over to Bronson Avenue, screeching to a halt in the center of the road. Down the road, Jinx could see clouds of smoke and dust created by Johnny's wild firing. "You call that destruction? This is destruction." Jinx chuckled sinisterly as she activated some of the T-car's firepower. Extending out of the roof was the T-car's mighty proton cannon, two pulse cannons popped out from the lateral borders of the car's hood, and a pair of small guided missiles flipped out from the car's underside. "Gotta admit, Cyborg certainly knows how to pimp his ride."

The flashing red buttons on the sides of the steering wheel beckoned for Jinx to unleash the T-car's fury. A tiny targeting computer lit up on the dashboard where flashing red reticles began to tighten on the approaching motorcycle. Her lips curled into a wicked grin while her thumbs slid into position over each trigger – the moment she had a clear line of fire, the T-car unleashed its barrage. The missiles led the barrage followed by a flurry of energy bolts, focusing on the inbound Johnny Rancid and pummeling the entire road ahead of her. A thick blanket of dust and smoke blanketed the entire street from one side to the other and despite being a busy downtown street the scene fell silent in anticipation of the aftermath.

"Maybe I should get Cyborg to build me one of these as thanks for saving him," Jinx mused as she waited for the smoke to lift to see the damage she caused. She would be in for a big surprise, though, as the black motorcycle and its rider pierced through the haze virtually unscathed by the earlier barrage. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" There wasn't enough time to target for a second barrage, as Rancid was already way too close to the T-car. When he made no deviations to avoid her, Jinx knew exactly what he was planning to do. She ducked down in time, as Rancid popped his front wheel and used the front of the T-car as a ramp, leaving huge dents in the hood, smashing in the windshield, and knocking off the proton cannon before soaring over the vehicle.

"Jinx, are you hurt?" Kid Flash stopped for a moment to check in on his partner.

"Just my pride," Jinx grumbled as she sat up and prepped the car to continue the pursuit.

"Then it's my turn now," Kid Flash grinned before taking off after Johnny Rancid again. No more hanging back and watching for him – he was going to put an end to this nonsense and fast.

Only about a block ahead of the two heroes, Johnny Rancid chuckled arrogantly to himself as he checked his mirror again and saw no sign of the T-car trying to give chase. "That's what those Titan wannabes get for trying to mess with Johnny Rancid," He scoffed aloud. "There's nothing on the road that can catch me now!"

"I wouldn't be too certain of that Johnny boy," Kid Flash shouted as he pulled up alongside the biker. Rancid was fairly surprised to see somebody keeping pace with him…on foot no less. However, like anything else that stood in his way, Rancid wasn't going to give any mercy. He would find a more difficult opponent in Kid Flash compared to some of his previous adversaries. The simple fact that every blaster shot he fired at Kid Flash missed completely; half of the time Kid Flash was out of the way before the trigger was pulled. "I don't know why people keep trying to shoot me…probably along the same line of reasoning that people keep trying to shoot Superman."

"Well let's see if you can fly him too!" Rancid retorted as he suddenly veered his motorcycle towards Kid Flash. The sudden loss in speed and swinging the front end of the bike right out into Kid Flash's path resulted in the speedy hero being knocked ass over teakettle. His momentum carried down the road, bouncing and skipping off the asphalt until he came to a halt when he collided headlong into a lamppost. Kid Flash clung to the pole for a few moments before finally sliding down to the ground and collapsing like a wet rag. He just was barely conscious enough to hear Johnny Rancid's taunting laughter as he passed by adding further insult to his injuries.

Moments later, the T-car screeched to a halt next to the semi-conscious hero, who had just finally managed to get back to his feet. "That was only slightly less painful than the time I hit a bumblebee going at a hundred and twenty," Kid Flash groaned as he stumbled over to the car and collapsed into the backseat.

"Well that's just great, we've been chasing criminals for about an hour and you've already managed to take yourself out of commission. If you need to get a hospital, you're finding your own way there." Jinx would've continued scorning Kid Flash if it weren't for the sudden rapping upon the driver's side window. Standing right outside was none other than the Jack-of-All-Trades.

"Hey zere, need a 'and?" Jacqueline asked rhetorically as she leaned upon against her new guitar – a beautiful new axe composed of high composite polymers with a sky blue coating. The body was slightly thicker than most electric guitars but then again it wasn't an ordinary guitar.

"How the heck did you get down here so fast?" Jinx asked as they were too far into the downtown core for her to have just walked on her own.

"Simple – I flew. Check it out," Jacqueline set her guitar down onto the ground and then stepped onto it. There was a quiet hum before the guitar began to lift off the ground, carrying the heroine a few feet off the ground. "I took Kid Flash's advice and added a few amenities to ze old design. Zose Legion folks aren't ze only ones zat can build an anti-gravity emitter…especially since Cyborg had some of scans of zem on his computer."

"Neat."

"Well if you'll excuse me, ze others and I shall handle zis speed demon." As those words rolled off Jacqueline's tongue, Blackfire flew past the trio at top speed, followed by Red X on his own motorcycle, which brought a smile to Jinx's face – the team was back together. Jacqueline and the T-car quickly took off to catch up the others and put an end to Rancid's joyride.

Red X was able to catch up on the fellow biker easily. With Rancid so wrapped up in his own magnificence, he failed to notice the thief fast approaching from the rear. It wasn't until Red X slammed up against the biker that he noticed there was yet another challenger at his heels. "Hey there, remember me?" Red X taunted as he rammed the motorcycle again.

"Oh I remember you and I've been saving this just for you!" Rancid took aim at the thief but before his could pull the trigger a hand reached down from above and wrenched the pistol right out of his hand. "What the?"

"I'll be taking that," Blackfire chuckled, flying directly overhead of Rancid.

"And we'll be taking these," Red X added, pulling off one of the Rancid's loot bags from the back of his motorcycle. On the opposite flank, the newly arrived Jacqueline was doing the exact same thing to the second loot bag.

"Hey, those are mine!"

"Ride's over biker boy!" Rancid was simply overwhelmed by the distractions surrounding him. There was simply nothing he could do to avoid Blackfire's boot that came swinging down right at face-level and dislodged the biker from his ride. The motorcycle careened out of control before slamming into a brick wall.

"Why you blasted little kids. You'll pay for that," Johnny growled in rage as he staggered back to his feet. A loud screeching from behind caught his attention and Rancid found himself going toe-to-toe with the front fender of the T-car. Only because of Jinx's quick reaction was Johnny saved from the full-force of the vehicle and was toppled down like a bowling pin and out cold.

"Told you I had it under control," Jinx remarked as she stepped out of the car to check on Rancid's condition. Satisfied that he wasn't dead, she concluded that the job was done and done well.

"You're just lucky that the brakes work well on this car," Kid Flash quickly retorted as he climbed out of the back seat. Of course, both of them saw the humour in such a remark.

"Sorry about being late – had to talk some sense into myself," Blackfire said as she touched down next to Jinx, crushing the weapon in her hands at the same time. "I hope you two weren't planning on hogging all the fun."

"There's enough fun to go around," Jinx answered just as Red X and Jacqueline joined up with the others. The team was now assembled; now all that was needed was a new plan of action. "I hope one of you figured out a way to keep tabs on where each crime is happening cause I've got nothing to do that."

"Already taken care of," Jacqueline announced proudly, whipping out the old Titan communicator she was given after helping the Titans defeat Kronos. "I synchronized zis with ze Titans main computer so I can check on crimes whenever I want. It also gets a bit of AM/FM but so far all I can get are ze Spanish stations."

"How the heck did you manage to rope skull boy in joining us?" Kid Flash asked as he glanced over to the silent thief.

"The same way I convince anybody to do things my way."

"You threatened to pummel him into dust?" Jinx quipped with some confusion in her tone.

"Something along those lines," Blackfire chuckled coyly. "The important thing is we're back together and we've got a job to do. So how about we get to it fast before somebody changes their mind." There was a round of nodding heads in agreement and, for once in a long while, things were looking good for the heroes of Jump City even with the Titans MIA.

"Before we go off being the new super hero team in town," Kid Flash interrupted. "I think we should decide upon a name for our new ensemble."

Blackfire merely stared at the speedster for a few moments before shaking her head in disappointment. "How about we stick with priorities Kid Flash? How about we decide on a name after we stop the bad guys? I guarantee you we'll likely agree to kill you first before we agree on a name."

"And what are we going to do when people ask who we are? Criminals aren't going to fear a no-named team of heroes," Kid Flash argued, though not very strongly since Blackfire did have a point about priorities.

"We'll stick with the element of mystery," Red X answered. "Apparently mysteries get all the coverage on the evening news."

"So who's next on the list of criminals to bust?" Jinx asked, pulling the heroes attention back to the important issues. Jacqueline quickly checked her communicator and scrolled through the list; she had to pick one close and was feasible. Some were already under the care of the Jump City police and some were too long ago to be possible to catch now. Eventually, Jacqueline decided upon the one that seemed to be causing the most trouble and would likely require all of them to handle.

"Zere's reports of a guy named Cinderblock causing havoc down in ze subway tunnels. It's at ze junction between 9th and 10th line stations."

"Figures – that's where they're putting in the new expansion for the west-bound line. That area's not very stable with all the blasting going around," Kid Flash groaned in annoyance. Figured the fight was at the most dangerous point in the tunnel. "The 9th line station entrance should be the closest way to get down there."

"Then let's do this," Blackfire grinned brightly as her eyes flashed pink for an instant. "Somebody go tie up Johnny and leave him for the cops to pick up and then we go get Cinderblock. We hit hard and fast cause I don't want to be wasting a minute more than we need to with this guy."

--------------

The newest extension of the vast Jump City subway system was still well under construction at this point. Branching off of the mainline, a crude tunnel had been cut, blasted, and dug from the cold earth, stretching several kilometers in until it came to the abrupt halt of the dead-end. Wooden and steel beams provided the structural support for the tunnel until the construction crew laid in the reinforced concrete to secure the tunnel's integrity and temporary tracks had been laid so materials could be moved easily from the construction site to the main rail stations where they were shipped from.

As per the reports from the constructions crews and nearby civilians, the massive, stone giant Cinderblock was tearing apart the newly constructed line. Several steel support beams had already been ripped straight out the ground and crates of unused explosives had been staked together in preparation for being hauled out of there.

Of course, Blackfire and her friends were going to put a stop to this nonsense. Just as Cinderblock was about to pull another steel beam loose, a trio of starbolts exploded against his back; though harmless against his rock hide, they were enough to get the monster's attention. "Now if I were Robin I'd say something really witty and fitting to the situation…but how about we skip the puns and just kick your ass?" Having been fed the information that the Titans were gone and the city was theirs for the taking, Cinderblock was immensely surprised to see Blackfire addressing him like that, flanked by her comrades who were all ready to fight. Another batch of heroes wasn't going to stop him, though, as he finished ripping out the steel post and charged at the five heroes with a low, echoing roar.

"Scatter!" Blackfire shouted as the steel beam came crashing down, sending the heroes leaping for cover in all directions. Red X leapt up to the wall of the tunnel, clinging to the rocks and hurling a trio of shurikens at the giant. Though a nuisance, the shurikens weren't going to do much against the burly beast but since they hit his face, they distracted him long enough for Blackfire to swoop in from down below and deliver a powerful uppercut. As Cinderblock stumbled back from the blow, a patch of ground under the influence of Jinx's magic crumbled beneath the giant's weight and caused him to collapse against the wall. Another quick blast of Jinx's magic caused a small section of the rocks above to cascade and bury their foe.

"Hm, well Starfire always said this Cinderblock guy was a bit of a pushover," Blackfire remarked as she touched down near the pile of rocks. It was a bit foolish of her to think that Cinderblock was out of the fight, which he easily demonstrated by burst free from the rocks. The flying boulders knocked both Jinx and Blackfire to the ground but gave Jacqueline the extra height she needed to hurl herself towards the giant with her guitar swinging. Her new guitar proved to be just as effective as the old one, delivering a staggering blow across the face of the behemoth. However, no sooner had she landed on the ground did Cinderblock strike back with a swift swipe of his arm, which sent Jacqueline flying down the tunnel.

"Surprise!" Kid Flash shouted as he sprang up behind Cinderblock and grabbed the villain with a stranglehold. He might not have the strength or fancy spells of his other teammates but that didn't stop him from being a pain to every villain he came across. Cinderblock roared furiously as he tried to shake the hero off of his back. Like a cowboy on a bucking bronco, Kid Flash just held on as tightly as he could and hoped that the match would end soon. "In hindsight, maybe trying to put a stranglehold on a guy without a neck was a bad idea!"

As Kid Flash clung for his life, Red X moved into position and shot a line of a sticky material across the length of the tunnel, creating a tripwire that Cinderblock quickly stumbled over. "Watch your step," Red X quipped as the giant tumbled to the ground with a tremendous crash and fortunately for Kid Flash, it was face-first.

"Yup, he was a tough ride but in the end, the cowboy reigned supreme," Kid Flash chuckled lightly as he released his grip and prepared to 'dismount' the beast. Once again, though, the heroes were presumptuous in declaring themselves victorious. Cinderblock suddenly pushed himself off the ground, throwing Kid Flash off his back, before grabbing Red X and slamming the thief straight into the side of the tunnel.

"Get your filthy mitts off me!" Red X grunted through the pain, managing to wrestle his arm free from the criminal's grip and firing an X straight into Cinderblock's face, which wrapped tightly around his eyes. With the shock of sudden blindness, Cinderblock released his grip on Red X and staggered back while trying to pry the material off of his face. Alas, his stubby fingers couldn't get a grip on the tightly wrapped X and instead his rage intensified at the black thief. Grabbing the nearest thing he could, Cinderblock hurled a crate at Red X, who was quick to teleport out of the way of the projectile. However, it was an explosive crate that Cinderblock had thrown and it detonated violently against the tunnel wall, blasting a hole straight through the rock wall and into the adjacent tunnel.

"Hey X, you got more of that sticky red thing?" Kid Flash asked once the thief reappeared.

"Sure, where do you need it?"

"Just aim for my hand." The instructions puzzled Red X at first but he agreed to the idea nonetheless and fired a line of sticky material into Kid Flash's open palm. "Thanks, now hold onto something solid." Again with the confusion, though it was short-lived since Kid Flash made it obvious what he meant as he raced towards Cinderblock. Red X quickly grabbed hold of a nearby steel support beam as the material began to be stretched from his palm. Still blinded by the X around his head, Cinderblock was easy prey for Kid Flash, who began running circles up and down the giant. In seconds, Cinderblock was wrapped up like a giant, red mummy. "Nice assist, high five." With the quick slap of the two heros' hands, the ends of the red line were joined together and quickly snapped tight around Cinderblock to finish the job.

"Blackfire, could you put the guy under for us?" Jinx suggested, since Cinderblock was still hopping about in his semi-immobilized, blinded state.

"With pleasure." With Cinderblock defenseless, it was easy to land a full-force blow straight into the villain's kisser, knocking out the giant in a heartbeat. Cheers and high fives erupted from her teammates at their third victory as a team, this one being a cakewalk for them. "Now that's how you lay down a whooping! What's next on the agenda? If we beat everybody as fast as this guy we'll be done before dinner."

"I wouldn't count on zat," Jacqueline groaned as she pointed to the hole in the tunnel behind them. "Maybe you didn't notice but zat blast just blocked off ze main tracks for ze metro and um…ze next metro comes in about two minutes." Sure enough, there was a huge pile of debris and boulders scattered across the main tracks.

"Thanks for killing the mood Jacqueline," Blackfire grumbled.

"That's not all that's going to die if we don't do something quick," Jinx added.

"What if one of us got on the train?" Kid Flash suggested. "Could we stop it in time?"

Jacqueline immediately shook her head. "By ze time somebody gets on it, zere won't be enough room to stop it in time." She was quickly running through the numbers in her head, calculating the amount of distance needed using the average speed and braking speed of an average-sized subway. "We'd need at least another half a kilometer for a safe braking."

"Jacqueline – get on that train and get it slowing down," Blackfire suddenly instructed with a very commanding tone in her voice. "We'll handle things here." There was already very little time to plan this out and every second wasted was one less second that they could have the subway slowing down. Jacqueline didn't want to leave the others before knowing the plan but she put her faith in Blackfire and hurried on her way.

"I take it you have a plan," Red X asked.

"Sorta," Blackfire sighed lightly. "I'll need Kid Flash to run out there and switch the tracks so the train will come down this way, then go to the station up the line and tell them to evacuate and get emergency crews ready."

"Consider it done!" Kid Flash wasted no time and bolted off to carry out his tasks.

"I'm no exactly sure we're going to have enough room in this tunnel either," Red X remarked as he looked down the length of the tunnel. The tunnel stretched for a good length but the tracks stopped just shy of where the tunnel begins to curve to the left.

"You know why that tunnel curves to the left like that?" Blackfire asked rhetorically, thus getting no response from the others. "Right behind that rock wall before the turn is the 10th line station. That should give us another hundred yards at least to slow the train down."

"I think I get what you're planning and you're insane for trying this," Jinx muttered as she looked at the wall at the end of the tunnel. "I can use my magic to weaken that wall enough for one of these explosive crates to blow a hole through it."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Blackfire nodded before turning to Red X. "Lastly, I want you to lay down as many of those red lines as you can along this line – it might not be much but every little bit of extra resistance we can give will help."

"And what are you going to do?" Red X replied.

"The only thing I can do – try and stop it myself." Jinx and Red X knew exactly what Blackfire had meant by those words. As a last resort, Blackfire was going to put herself between the train and the wall in hopes she can slow it down before they hit the end of the line. A bold move but unless Superman suddenly swooped down out of the sky, they didn't have any other option. With a silent nod to each other, the three heroes hurried to prepare for the oncoming train. "I'll move the big guy out of the way too…I guess it would be cruel of us to try and use him to stop the train…"

Down the line, Jacqueline was flying atop of guitar in hopes to intercept the train as fast as possible. It was a risky move since she was still getting used to riding upon the instrument like a surfboard but it seemed to be coming naturally to her and it was proving to be kind of fun. The roar of the subway could be heard rapidly approaching her, which meant it was time to get close to the ceiling and hope that there was enough clearance for her. Carefully, she came to a halt and she lay flat on the guitar, hugging it tightly and waiting for the bright headlights of the subway to show themselves around the bend. The rush of the subway as it passed under her created a huge turbulence in the air, nearly shaking the poor girl loose from her ride but she just barely managed to hold on tight. Accelerating quickly to keep up with the subway, Jacqueline prepared for the dangerous task of boarding the vehicle. She figured her best bet was to just fly as fast as she could and then drop onto the roof of the vehicle.

_"Here goes nothing,"_ Jacqueline mentally sighed as she let the guitar slip out from under her and she fell the short distance onto the roof of the subway car. She immediately began scrambling to get a grip on the ground, helplessly sliding along the surface as the rushing winds pushed her further and further down the cart. Eventually, she decided to let herself continue sliding in a controlled fashion and when she reached the end of the cart, she dropped down into the space between the carts, much to the surprise of the people inside. As much as she wanted to explain herself to the confused passengers, Jacqueline had to push her way through the crowds to reach the lead car where the driver was probably still unaware of the danger ahead.

"Hey conductor guy! Ze line ahead has been blocked, you've got to stop zis zing!" Jacqueline exclaimed as she opened the door to the driver's compartment, startling the conductor. Fortunately for her, it didn't take much to convince the man to listen to her and pull the breaks on the vehicle. However, she didn't know if it would be enough as she saw them already rapidly approaching the fork in the line. "Time to duck and cover…"

At the end of the tunnel, everything was ready in preparation for the subway's arrival. Dozen's of red, elastic lines crisscrossed down the length of the tunnel, creating a web of blockades that would hopefully provided enough resistance en masse to slow the subway down significantly. The crate of explosive was positioned against the far wall in preparation to create more room and Blackfire stood just behind the last red elastic line, bracing herself for the impending impact.

The subway followed the tracks into the newly constructed tunnel, hitting the webs of red elastics at high speed. The elastic lines stretched and snapped quickly under the tremendous force of the oncoming subway and while each one didn't provide much resistance there was a marked increase in the lifespan of each line by the time the train reached the last one. Waiting at the end was Blackfire, who didn't waver for a second as she immediately threw herself forward into the subway car. The front end of the car buckled under the sheer force of the impact but the subway continued on unabated as Blackfire was pushed across the rocky ground and the railway ties. Dust and splinters of wood were kicked into the air as Blackfire continued down the tunnel with the end rapidly approaching her. Jinx was in position, hoping that she wouldn't need to play their last card.

When it was obvious that Blackfire's effort wasn't going to be enough in the length of tunnel they had, Jinx blasted the explosive crate with her magic. On the other side of the rock wall, the main platform of the 10th line station was empty thanks to Kid Flash's warning. The noise of the oncoming subway could be heard, muffled into an ominous rumble by the rock wall and climaxed by the detonation of the explosives. A giant hole was blasted straight through the rock, sending a shower of glass and concrete across the platform. Through the dust cloud, Blackfire emerged as she fell a few feet down to the platform, followed immediately by the subway. A second impact occurred between the Tamaranean powerhouse and the subway, deepening the dent in the lead car.

Digging her feet into the concrete so hard that she began to carve a path through it, Blackfire grunted and shouted in pain as she pushed as hard as she could against the runaway subway. Though still pushing the hero across the platform, the subway was slowing down considerably now but whether or not it would slow to a stop before hitting the wall at the end of the platform was anybody's guess.

Slowly but surely, the line of steel cars gradually lost speed. Unfortunately, even the length of the subway platform was not enough to bring the subway to a halt on its own. With a horrifying, echoing crash, the cart slammed into the far wall. Thanks to the effort of the five heroes though, the impact didn't even cause a single pane of glass to shatter on the front car.

"Blackfire!" Jinx shouted as she squeezed past the cart through the hole and hurried down to check on her friend. The doors of the subway began to open and people poured out to see what was happening and who these strange people were, while emergency crews began to come down from the upper levels to take control of the situation. Everybody's concern, though, was on the fate of the girl who put herself in front of the train to slow it down enough to save everyone. Slowly, the front car began to grind against the concrete…as something was pushing it back. It only managed to slide back about a foot but it was enough for the exhausted Tamaranean to slip out from the huge dent in the concrete wall and onto the safety of the subway platform.

"Ow…" Blackfire's only words were short and to the point as she started to collapse, though was quickly caught by Red X.

"You did it Blackfire!" Jacqueline shouted as she emerged from the lead car.

As word of what happened quickly spread throughout the train, thanks to Jacqueline's explanations to the people inside, cheers and roars of celebration began filling the station.

"What's that noise?" Blackfire grumbled, barely able to pry her eyes open to look.

"They're just cheering…for you," Red X explained as she shouldered his girlfriend so that she could see more clearly. The five heroes gathered around to congratulate each other and to compliment Blackfire, whose quick thinking had saved the day.

"I don't suppose they could keep it down. I have a bit of headache…" Even through the pain, Blackfire managed a weak smile to her friends. She never imagined doing something so stupid and reckless would leave her feeling so…good about it. Before they could even get moving to find a place to rest their exhausted Tamaranean, a news reporter and her cameraman came rushing up to the heroes.

"Ooo, the press. Quick, how does my hair look?" Kid Flash whispered to Jinx as he hurried to straighten his looks. Watching with mild curiosity, the five heroes didn't try to leave as the news reporter quickly took her position for what was obviously going to be the 'live on the scene' report.

"This is Natasha Mironov reporting from the 10th Line station where, just now, a group of five teenaged heroes have just save an entire subway from crashing into a blocked railway, which was caused by the rampage of the nefarious supervillain, Cinderblock." They were all pretty impressed by how quickly the media was on the scene, especially with such accurate information, though it was likely reported by the station authorities when Kid Flash got them to evacuate the station. "Behind me are the five heroic teens whose bravery has managed to save the hundreds of lives on the subway." Taking a few steps back, the news reporter held out her microphone for the heroes to make their replies.

"Hopefully I'll never have to do that again," Blackfire groaned, though thankfully it was inaudible to the microphone.

"I guess the first question that would be on everyone's mind is…who are you five?"

Each of the give heroes could only manage a long pause and a confused glance to one another…

One thing was for certain though – it was official; they were the new heroes of the city.


	28. Chapter 27: Contingency

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Contingency**

**"This is an outrage!"** Bellerophon shouted angrily as he slammed his fist so hard into the circular conference table that it nearly splintered the surface beneath it. The three generals had gathered once again in their private meeting chambers in yet another emergency meeting to discuss the ever-growing problem of the new team of heroes in Jump City. "I was promised no outside interference! Where in the name of Olympus did these rag-tag vigilantes come from?" Dozens of monitors began to flicker to life along the perimeter of the round chamber; every screen was playing various intercepted footage from the local media covering the recent exploits of the new team of heroes. In every piece of footage, it showed at least one of the criminals that the Legion had worked hard to free from the Adamantine Prison getting beaten down.

"Nobody could have predicted this Bellerophon so quit your shouting," Achilles snapped back, equally annoyed by the situation. All of the generals were on edge because of this new…dilemma and as a result tempers were beginning to flare a little bit amongst them. "Our intelligence had three of them classified as criminals and the other two as 'lone wolf' heroes. The chances that these five would form a team were infinitesimally small."

"Well it would appear that your intelligence was flawed! In one day those five children have completely destroyed all of the phase 7 plans. If the Argo is to be completed, we are going to have to resume raiding parties. This will endanger our men – I am holding you responsible for this Achilles!"

"I am responsible?" Achilles retorted in disbelief. "I am not the one who limited my shade's reconnaissance operations. If they had been allowed to continue gathering intelligence up until the beginning of the operations, we would have had up-to-date information such as the fact that two of them should not have been classified as criminals for at least six months!"

"Do not forget that two of them are still alive because of your incompetence!" Bellerophon added, storming over to Achilles and prodding him sharply in the chest to drive the point across. "You should have killed those two heroes when you had the chance instead of leaving it up to the bomb."

"I followed _your_ orders to the letter!" Achilles replied, growing more defensive as he shoved Bellerophon away from him. "I was instructed to get Raven by any means necessary and that's it. You had not classified them as a significant threat at the time so you have no right to get pissed with me. If you wanted them dead how about you try getting off your lazy ass and actually take matters into your own hands!"

"How about using those chips in your head you call a processor!" Bellerophon retaliated by getting right into Achilles' face. Since the general stood about a foot higher than Achilles, it was easy to add a factor of intimidation by towering over him. "What have we been trying to teach you all this time Achilles? You are not to gamble with this operation. You are not to take stupid chances. It has been your irresponsibility that has led to this disaster – you allowed Red X to be dragged into the conflict, you allowed the Jack-of-All-Trades and Kid Flash to live, and your lack of intelligence has caused us to misallocate resources and focus. Your failure to contain the problem from the start has now jeopardized the entire operation. Our enemies are laughing at us…at me! I will permit you one last opportunity to redeem your honour and place in the Legion. You are to crush these enemies by any means necessary and I do not want to see you back here until you have cleansed your dishonour in a river of their blood!"

Surprisingly, Achilles managed to keep his temper in check despite the amount of verbal abuse he was receiving, though one could almost hear the wrenching of metal as his fists tightened. "I shall bring you their heads by daybreak…"

"See to it that you do, or else I shall have yours." Without another word exchanged between the two, Achilles stormed out of the chamber, boiling over in rage. "A contingency plan is needed immediately, see to it that the Argo is completed on schedule," Bellerophon continued casually after turning to address Heracles. "Lead the raiding parties yourself if necessary – Slade will not be impressed if we allow the plan to behind schedule."

"Achilles does have a point. You have been as proactive in this operation as Achilles and I," Heracles replied.

"That is because I have the intelligence to run this operation better than the both of you combined. Bellerophon's tone conveyed his lingering frustrations, though at least he was able to control his temper as Heracles had a tendency to be far more polite than Achilles. "You and Achilles were designed to be the ones who lead the troops into battle, I was built to lead the Legion in place of our supreme commander. Achilles needs to learn his place in…he arrogantly believes that all one needs to do to win is endure. There is more to victory than taking hits like an idiot."

"He is annoyed because you are continually abusing your position. You technically are not the boss of him."

"As long as our supreme commander is not here I am in charge of this army. I am responsible for the preservation and success of the plans laid out. I will accept nothing less than complete and total victory…and that will only happen once we have completely annihilated all those who stand against us. I want the Argo finished in the next 48 hours and I will lay down as many of my troops, including you, as needed in order to see that it is done. The Gods demand sacrifices from us all. Now unless you have any other suggestions I want you to carry out your orders Heracles."

"I recommend we pull all of our troops back to either the factory or the shipyard. In case Achilles meets his Paris, we will need to have our defenses as tight as possible in preparation for a counter-attack," Heracles promptly suggested.

"Agreed. I'm putting you in charge of the factory's safety, while I shall keep watch over the shipyard. We cannot allow this group of amateurs to ruin everything." Bellerophon growled in annoyance, pounding his fist once again into the table though not as hard as before. "I am not amused by this. We are the Legion – we should have ground these heroes beneath our heels long before they could've become a threat."

"The Titans and their friends have never been a group to be underestimated Bellerophon," Heracles replied. "If it weren't for the necessity of maintaining a low profile, we could just level their base in a heartbeat."

"Yes…but then the humans would send their armies in and our numbers are not large enough to take on a force of that size. Not yet at least. Once the Argo is complete, Slade can use its firepower to sow as much destruction as his heart desires. It will not be as effective as the Titans but…it will serve its purpose."

"We are putting a lot of trust into that…madman," Heracles remarked, choosing his words carefully as they spoke about their commander. "What if after launching the Argo he decides that he is strong enough…that he doesn't need the Legion anymore."

"Your concerns are unnecessary my friend. Powerful as the Argo is, it is but one weapon. It will require full air and ground support to be an effective war machine. If Slade arrogantly decides that the Legion is no longer required he shall quickly discover just how much he needs us. Worst-case scenario – we show Slade how much we _don't_ need him."

--------------

"Okay let's just go over the list one last time just so I know that we've taken care of everything," Blackfire sighed lightly as she leaned back in her chair next to the kitchen table. A pad of paper rested in one hand while her other tapped a pen against the side of her head in boredom. Jacqueline was over by the main computers working away on the Titan clones in hopes of finding some information on the real Titans' location, Red X sitting across the table from Blackfire, Jinx was lounging on the couch, and Kid Flash was giving Jacqueline a hand with her work. "We've got Cinderblock thanks to Kid Flash and Red X and Jacqueline's guitar made short work of Plasmus. Jinx and Kid Flash took down Overload without too much trouble while Jacqueline's rather unorthodox methods of distraction was key to beating Control Freak…"

"I can't believe I kissed that pudgy little freak," Jacqueline muttered under her breath with a clear hint of disgust in her voice.

"I bowled over Mad Mod without much trouble...the nerve of that guy calling me a fowl. Hm, Jacqueline's guitar once again won the battle when dealing with Killer Moth, though Red X and I took care of his daughter and her boyfriend, Fang. I overpowered Adonis and his stupid robot suit, Atlas required a whole team effort to beat, and I got the final blow for Steamroller. I'll split credit for Johnny Rancid with Jinx and Mother Mae-Eye was surprisingly tough but nothing that Kid Flash couldn't handle." Flipping the page, Blackfire continued on with the lengthy list of accomplishments. "Trident, the so-called Mr. Perfection, was way too easy for Red X, Katarou's kung-fu was no match for my prowess, Kardiak was a combined effort by Jacqueline, Kid Flash, and Jinx, and Malchoir was a team effort overall. Warp's technology was no match for Red X's gadgets and Jacqueline's ingenuity, Mumbo's magic was nifty but once Kid Flash got his wand it was way too easy, and Professor Chang and Puppet King were so easy I can't give anybody credit for them. Ding Dong Daddy wasn't very tough once Jinx blew his car to pieces and she took care of LeBlanc as well. Oh…and Jacqueline's super-guitar show-down with Punk Rocket just made my day."

"What can I say – I am ze Queen of the electric axe," Jacqueline replied with some mock modesty.

"Last was the HIVE Five again, which we all managed to take down one member of. Before you ask Kid Flash, Billy Numerous does not count as multiple credits even though you beat a lot of him." Jacqueline got up from her seat and walked over to a small portable blackboard that Jacqueline had been using and starting writing upon it. "The finally tally comes down to – nine points to Jacqueline, eight points for Kid Flash, Jinx got eight points, seven points for Red X, and nine points for myself…"

"You forgot all the other HIVE students," Red X reminded her.

"Oh yeah, who took those guys down again?"

"You did…all five of them – the yellow one, the guy with the huge head, the guy wearing a red mask, the blue alien guy, and a girl with wings."

"Thanks for reminding me X," Blackfire grinned as she recounted the points. "With those five amateur criminals added into the mix that puts me in the undeniable lead with 14 points! I must admit, that's not bad for one day's work but you know what's even more amazing?" There was a collective sigh from the rest of the team, as they knew exactly what was coming next. "It's the fact that I kicked all your butts! And not just by a little, by a good five point margin. I think this calls for a victory dance." The others merely shook their heads slowly, chuckling quietly to themselves as Blackfire did a quick victory dance on the spot, continuing her self-praise in a lyrical accent. "Go Blackfire, it's your birthday. Who's amazing? Who's the greatest? Who's the sexiest? That's right it's me!"

"Yes we know Blackfire…you're the best, can you stop dancing and singing now?" Red X interrupted, putting an end to her celebration.

"Well thanks for killing the mood," Blackfire mock-pouted as she headed over to relax on the couch. "Any luck with all our Titan copies Jacque?"

"If I can get somezing from all zis mess, it won't be for a while," Jacqueline reluctantly admitted as she continued tinkering with the Cyborg clone's exposed robotic brain. "Zere's a good chance I just might've fried his brain too much for it to be of any use. I mean…it was an awfully big magnet we used. I'm going to try ze Robin replica…though I zink Red X might've smashed him up a bit too much."

"Well a slightly dented chip is better than a fried one," Jinx remarked as she got off the couch and headed over to the remains of the Robin robot. "The sooner we get the real Titans back, the sooner we can take a break from playing super hero."

"It probably won't be too bad tomorrow. We put away almost every villain that the Titans faced – who else is there to cause trouble?" Kid Flash remarked.

"Slade and the Legion perhaps," Blackfire replied in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Don't forget they're the ones who have been pulling the strings behind the curtains all this time. I wouldn't be surprised if what happened today had a lot to due with their…instructions. I mean a few criminals robbing and stealing is expected but this many? This is way more than just somebody tipping them off…I think they were told to start all this trouble."

"They could've just all figured the added chaos would make it harder for each of them to be caught," Jinx suggested. "But you might actually have a point. Almost everything's been connected thus far so this could also have ulterior motives."

"Well you remember what Raven talk about before we went to stop the Titan clones from killing those politicians? If the Legion is actually trying to press a metahuman hatred by the rest of the population, having almost every metahuman villain causing carnage in the city would further than point."

"Not everyone was a metahuman, remember? Zat Control Freak fellow was just a guy with way too much time on his hands," Jacqueline interrupted with the small, conflicting detail.

"Besides, we have no idea if the Legion is actually trying to actively ruin the metahuman reputation. It could've been just a side-effect from other plan they are attempting," Jinx continued, proposing another theory that could better explain what was happening in the city. "We have a list of everything that was stolen and recovered, right?"

"Yeah, it's right over here," Red X answered as he held up the small collection of papers on the kitchen table. He grabbed the list and took a quick look-over of the items "Now correct me if I'm wrong but why would anybody want to steal a three-step plasma regulator? What the hell is that anyways?"

"It's a type of energy regulator zat's normally used with plasma-fueled systems to ensure that ze manifold aren't overloaded," Jacqueline explained, though the technical details did little to alleviate the confusion in her teammates. "Who stole zat? Gizmo?"

"Um no…it was LeBlanc."

"I know him from France. Zat guy doesn't even know how a microwave works. Why would he be stealing somezing like zat?"

"Perhaps the Legion was planning on using these guys do their Christmas shopping," Jinx pondered as she headed over and took the list from Red X. In their rush during the day, nobody had taken the time to really look over the list of who stole what but now that Jinx was taking the time to do so a pattern was emerging. "Oh yeah. These guys definitely weren't aiming for subtly. There's more technical jargon on this sheet than at a computer geek forum. This one is a mouthful - gravito…positronic…"

"A gravitopositronic disruption amplification coil?"

"Uh…did you read this list already Jacqueline?"

"Lucky guess," Jacqueline replied. "I had to build one myself when I was constructing my new guitar. It's one of ze components needed for making the anti-gravity emitters."

"Well across all of the crooks we busted, about two hundred units were stolen."

"Either zey are building a lot more robots…or zey are building somezing very, very big. Zey probably used ze criminals so ze local authorities don't pick up on ze fact zat one person is going to be making use of all zose items. Either way, zey won't be able to get very far now zat we've put a stop to zeir shopping spree."

"I sincerely doubt they're going to just roll over and accept defeat because we've stopped a bunch of criminals," Blackfire added as she got up from the couch again and strolled over to the living room windows. "There out there somewhere just planning out their next move. I just wish we could figure out what there next move will be." She sighed lightly, rubbing her brow with two fingers as she tried to think more creatively. "Come on, three of us used to be just like these guys – we should be able to figure out what they're going to do next."

"Well what would you do if you were the Legion?" Red X remarked. Hopefully if Blackfire made the first suggestion it might prompt the other members of the team to put in some effort as well.

"Me? I'd just be pissed off…I'd probably just go off on a rampage and try to destroy my enemies." Blackfire was at least honest that anger and wanton destruction would be the first thing on her list but fortunately she wasn't the one being talked about here. "But come on, this is the Legion we're dealing with not some two-bit gang of thugs. Everything thus far has suggested a far more organized and coordinated group that wouldn't just go Rambo on us." The other eventually nodded in agreement.

"They're more likely to try and steal those items again…they must be important for the Legion to have gone through so much trouble for them. I guarantee that if we can keep an eye on all the places where those things can be found, we'll catch those Legion guys in the act," Kid Flash suggested. The plan was solid but Blackfire didn't like having to wait and react to the Legion's plans. She wanted something more proactive. Now that they were done catching all the criminals working for the Legion, they needed to take the fight to the Legion. After all, they couldn't forget that they still had to save the Titans…if they were still alive.

"I don't think we have the time to be waiting in ambush for something that we're not certain is coming," Jinx commented. She knew like Blackfire that time was not something they could afford. "Our first priority should be finding the Titans now – we rescue them and then we'll have the numbers for a head-on attack."

"Zat's if I can even find any leads in what's left of zese copies," Jacqueline muttered, growing frustrated as every attempt to recover data ended in failure.

"Uh-oh…" Blackfire muttered softly. "Um…not to alarm anybody but there's a really big guy outside pointing an even bigger gun at us."

"Zen we should duck and cover?"

"By all means yes."

Hovering about fifty yards out from the bay window was Achilles…doing exactly what he had promised he would. Hoisted onto his shoulder was a gigantic rocket pod, which housed a dozen large caliber rockets. The heroes within the living room made a mad dash for cover as the rockets were unleashed one by one. Blackfire took cover in the kitchen, where Jinx happened to be taking cover as well, clearing over the counter just as a rocket flew past them and crashed into the far wall. The room was pelted again and again by the barrage, blasting the furniture and computer equipment with terrifying results. Blackfire could barely anything after the first near-deafening explosions but she could feel the concussive blast of each rocket shaking her to her very core.

When the explosions finally fell silent for a moment, Blackfire and Jinx breathed a heavy sigh of relief…until they heard the distinct whistling of one last rocket. Both mentally braced for yet another explosion but instead there was a loud, crashing noise and the nosecone of the rocket suddenly broke through the cabinets right between the two of them. It got lodged halfway through and remained motionless right at eyelevel of the two girls. When faced with their own mortality, neither of them could muster much more than a dumb expression and a panicked glaze in their eyes. It took a few seconds for them to realize that time hadn't really slowed down and the thing hadn't blown them to smithereens.

"Remind me to buy a lottery ticket when this is over," Blackfire quipped cautiously as the girls slowly backed away from the unexploded ordinance.

"Make it two," Jinx replied.

"Is ze war over yet?" Jacqueline called out from the other side of the living room door.

"Things are just getting started," Blackfire shouted as she hopped over the cabinets. The entire living room was riddled with holes now, with all the furniture blasted into pieces, including all of the remains they had of the Titan clones. There was barely a wall separating the living room from the outside world and now more than enough room for the revenge-bound Achilles to enter the tower. "Everyone back in here!"

One by one, the remaining heroes rushed back into the room to confront their attacker. Achilles stood firmly at the edge of room, tossing the empty rocket pod over the ledge. His eyes glowed a bright red that pierced through the transparent metal face shield, signifying the synthetic rage that coursed from his personality subroutines. "Tonight, one of us is not walking out of this building. Prepare yourself!" Achilles challenged as he drew his gun.

"Funny you showed up cause we were just about to go looking for you," Blackfire warned as she tightened her fists. "Guess you won't be able to tell your buddies back home that we're coming for them too."

"Ha. You jest. You might have been able to defeat those pathetic excuses for criminals but you Teen Titan wannabes are not going to stop us."

Blackfire glanced to her sides, nodding to each of her teammates on either side. "Titans wannabes huh?" Blackfire chuckled aloud. "Alright then…Titans, go!"


	29. Chapter 28: The Achilles Heel

**Chapter 28: The Achilles Heel**

**"Come and meet your death Titans!" **Achilles shouted, taking aim at the charging heroes. The barrage of starbolts exploded almost harmlessly against his thickened armoured hide, not even disrupting his aim as he fired his hand cannon. Blackfire, the target of Achilles first strike, was only spared the full-brunt of the energy blast thanks to Kid Flash's intervention, pulling her out of harm's way.

As Achilles tried to shoot down another Titan, a well-aimed explosive shuriken struck the Legionnaire general in the hand. Though not crippling in any way, the blast managed to knock the weapon out of his hand. Undiscouraged by his lost weapon, Achilles was about to charge in for fisticuffs except a section of floor he stood upon was targeted by Jinx's hex. One foot fell straight through the floor, catching the general by surprise and leaving him immobilized for Jacqueline to strike. Moving right to point-blank range, Jacqueline struck the lowest chords of her guitar, creating a powerful shockwave that slammed full-force into Achilles. Letting out an angered howl, Achilles was blown straight out the window and disappearing from sight.

"Zank you! Zere shall be no encores unfortunately but I'm here all week," Jacqueline boasted with a joyous chuckle.

"Titans go? What the hell were you thinking Blackfire?" Jinx remarked as she turned to her friend. "That was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard you say."

"Well, I thought it would add a sort of dramatic flare to the fight," Blackfire defended, though not really believing in her side of the argument either.

"Dramatic flare? You're talking as if there's an audience out there watching us. Promise me you'll never say that again."

"Yeah. It was kind of stupid to say wasn't it? It sounded better in my head," Blackfire nodded in agreement, feeling a bit foolish just for saying it too. She wasn't the type to make cheesy one-liners either - she'd leave that to Kid Flash or Jacqueline.

"Not to spoil the mood or anything but I don't see our big angry friend anywhere," Red X spoke up, pulling the other's attention back to the still lingering danger. He stood at the very edge, peering down the side of the tower where he found no sign of their enemy. Considering Achilles could fly it was not a surprising find but it still left the heroes feeling uneasy. There was little chance that Achilles was scared off by their coordinated attack and it was just a matter of figuring out where he was going to strike from next.

When it came, Achilles struck hard and fast. Bursting through the floor, the armoured juggernaut rammed Kid Flash with a shoulder check, carrying the hero until they both came to a halt by colliding with the ceiling. With a terrifying crash, Achilles landed in front of Jacqueline and Jinx. Jacqueline didn't have any time to get out of the way as a swift backhand that propelled the heroine across the room. Jinx was so stunned by the sudden display of ferocity that she failed to get out of the way when Achilles struck at her. His burly hand wrapped tightly around Jinx's lithe frame, hoisting her up into the air and squeezing her tightly. When Blackfire tried to fly in to rescue her friend, Achilles hurled the sorceress right into her, sending both heroes to the ground.

"Ow…I don't remember him kicking this much ass the last time I fought him," Blackfire groaned as she rolled Jinx off of her.

"We never got him this pissed before," Jinx replied, taking a moment to rest while her bones knit.

Launching a surprise attack from behind, Red X jumped onto Achilles back and planted a explosive charge before jumping down in front of him. As Achilles tried to attack, the charge detonated and knocked the warrior off-balance. Red X took his time to wind up when delivering a powerful roundhouse kick straight to his opponent's face, toppling the mighty general over. The thief leapt into the air, both wrist blades extended, and just as he was about to come down atop of the general, Achilles launched a surprising counter-attack. Spinning around quickly, the general's spear extended in one hand and swatted the hero out of the air.

"Jacqueline, are you okay?" Blackfire called out.

"Nothing a bit of acetaminophen and a margarita won't fix," Jacqueline replied as she picked up her guitar.

"Then follow my lead."

The two heroines charged towards Achilles with Blackfire taking the lead. Serving to distract Achilles, Blackfire ducked low when he swung his spear and then grabbed hold of his weapon when he swung a second time. The set-up between Achilles and Blackfire made it a perfect opportunity for Jacqueline. She charged right in and delivered a hefty swing with her guitar, separating the warrior from his weapon. Armed with a spear now, Blackfire pressed the attack in conjunction with her comrade. With precisions swings, both girls scored a direct blow straight into Achilles' face, sending the warrior bouncing across the room.

"Please let him stay down this time," Blackfire muttered to herself.

"When does he ever?" Jacqueline promptly retorted, keeping her guard up just in case. As Achilles was about to get back up, a ring of pink energy appeared on the ceiling above him. The section caved in, dropping a large computer mainframe right on top of the general and pinning him to the ground temporarily.

"Go check on the others, I'll keep Mr. Invincible busy…"

Jacqueline nodded in acknowledgement, letting her friend rush headlong into battle while she hurried over to see how Kid Flash and Red X were fairing. Since she hadn't seen much of Kid Flash since he got hit, he was the first that Jacqueline checked on. She found him beneath a pile of debris from the wall and ceiling, semi-conscious and severely dazed but not seriously harmed overall. He just needed a bit of time to regain his composure. "Come on, let's get you someplace safer…" Jacqueline muttered as she started dragging his half-conscious body across the room. She figured he'd be safe for the time being so long as he was kept out of sight, so she let him rest behind the kitchen counters, far away from where Blackfire was currently duking it out with the general.

"Okay now where's Red?" Jacqueline mused as she scanned the area from the kitchen area. Thank goodness her reflexes were sharp, as she ducked her head just in time to avoid being hit by Achilles spear, which had been sent flying across the room. "Zat was too close." Unfortunately, her moment of looking back to where the spear had impaled into the wall made her oblivious to the fact that Blackfire wasn't too far behind the spear. The Tamaranean collided right into the back of Jacqueline's head, almost knocking the French girl senseless.

"Ow…heads up," Blackfire groaned, getting back to her feet with the assistance of the kitchen counter-top.

"A little more advance notice next time," Jacqueline added, though unable to get back to her feet at the moment.

"Slipped my mind." The Tamaranean was still trying to get her sense back in line when a computer mainframe came crashing into her position, burying the three heroes beneath piles of metal, plastics, and circuits boards.

"That takes care of those two," Achilles muttered angrily as he turned about to find the remaining two heroes. He didn't have to look very hard as Red X was already in his face with his wrist blades whirling. Red X lashed out repeatedly, creating showers of sparks as the blades skipped across the armour plates, barely leaving a dent in their wake. Since Red X wasn't accomplishing much more than just being a pain in the arse to the general, Achilles grabbed the thief by the wrist and proceeded to slam him hard into the ground. "Your persistence amuses me little human but you are only succeeding in annoying me!"

"Then this is really going to piss you off," Red X quipped as he aimed his free hand at Achilles' face and fired a mass of red goo right into face. The robot growled in rage as his vision became completely obscured, promptly hurling Red X across the room so that he can attempt to peel off the goo. Fortunately for the heroes, though, the goo was exceptionally durable and Achilles couldn't even get it to budge. Finally, for the sake of vision, he simply popped open the red transparent faceplate he wore.

"Insolent fools, you're weapons cannot harm me!" He shouted at the semi-conscious Red X from across the room.

"Yo!" Jinx's voice called out from behind Achilles. As he gradually turned about to face the sorceress, instead of seeing a weak, magic-wielding teenager like he expected, he saw the young girl holding his gun with both hands. "How about your weapon?" She merely smirked before pulling the trigger, which sent a condensed package of highly charged plasma straight into the Legionnaire's unarmoured face. His head snapped back like a Pez dispenser before the general toppled to the ground…now completely motionless.

"Guess that all that firearms training back at the HIVE came in use after all," Jinx mused as she shouldered the hefty weapon.

--------------

"Can't believe I just let him blindside me like that," Kid Flash groaned as he held an ice pack to his forehead.

"As I recall your ability is speed not precognition or x-ray vision...it's not like you could've seen him coming," Blackfire crudely reassured him as she pulled up a half-broken kitchen cabinet to use as a seat. The recovering heroes made a clearing in the center of the room and were using large pieces of debris or broken furniture as seats while they figure out their next plan of action. In a surprisingly bold move, Jinx was sitting comfortably upon the chest of her 'kill', keeping the gun close to her just in case they were presumptuous in assuming Achilles was dead. Most of his face was missing though…so it was likely he wasn't going to get up in the near future.

"Do I get extra points for killing him? I mean the guy was pretty much invincible, that should count for something," Jinx commented, eliciting a few chuckles from the others. "Should have guessed that there was at least one kink in his armour…I mean nobody is invincible after all. You think we could use the armour to make something for ourselves?"

"Ze stuff is six times heavier zan iron. Ze only person who'd be able to carry anything made out of it would be Blackfire," Jacqueline sighed lightly. "Besides, I don't zink we have ze equipment needed to recast zat metal. It might make a good tank but zat's about it."

"I never would've pictured you as the type to use a gun," Blackfire commented as she glanced to the firearm that sat at Jinx's side.

"Neither did I but I suppose it might be nice to keep on hand. It certainly works a lot faster against those robots than my magic would…though it somewhat lacks the finesse I'm used to," Jinx replied with a slight disappointed sigh, patting the side of the gun. "Plus it is kinda on the heavy side. Thing weighs like twenty pounds."

"I could probably build a lighter version of it...maybe make it bit more manageable to your size. It'd probably take me a few days to do it zough."

"Maybe another time then – worry about it after we get this ugly mess finished with."

"Speaking of ugly messes, ze Titans are going to be real pissed when zey see what we've done with their place," Jacqueline commented as she just looked at the number of holes and dents they put into the room along with almost every piece of furniture or equipment being broken to pieces.

"Hey, they should be grateful we didn't just let the military make this whole tower a pile of rubble. Besides, that's still assuming we can find the Titans – all the computer equipment has been smashed and our Titans have been reduced to an even smaller pile of scrap than before."

"On the contrary my alien friend," Jinx interrupted with her tone accentuating the facts overlooked by her friend. "We might've lost previous lead but perhaps our new friend can give us directions."

"Hey you're right," Jacqueline replied with a hopeful grin. "All I need to do is get ze head to a working computer and I should be able to get something out of it."

"Well we all know who's good at separating bodily parts from one another," Blackfire chuckled as she hopped to her feet and strut over to the fallen general. She cracked her knuckles in anticipation and planted her feet to both sides of the general's head. "Okay, just need to get a good hold on it…" she muttered while squatting down and gripping the head along the jawline.

"You sure you can even get it off? Ze guy was built like a tank after all."

"Something put his head on so that means it can be taken off!" Blackfire grunted as she began pulling as hard as she could. When she started pulling the whole body across the ground, she repositioned her feet against Achilles' shoulders. "Come on…off damn you! Zolworg tuback pizing zardbarker!"

"Hey, keep it clean," Jinx quipped.

"Then help me dammit!"

"Fine," Jinx shrugged as she snapped her fingers. With an immobilized target, it was easier to focus her magic to the exact points needed to cause a decoy of the metals holding the head in place. Since Blackfire didn't actually expect any help, when the pink aura loosened the head, the Tamaranean went flying across the room with the head. "Way to put your back into it."

Blackfire didn't dignify the remark with an answer and instead just tossed the head over to Jacqueline. "Think you'll be able to get something out of that?"

"All I'll need is a decent computer and something to hook zis zing up to it."

"Cyborg's room will have all that stuff," Blackfire said as she and Jacqueline headed off to find some answers. "The rest of you can just stay here and…um, clean up I guess." The others weren't too happy to be left with the hard work but didn't voice any objections before Blackfire left. It was a short walk to find Cyborg's room, which, like most of the Tower, has been left untouched for the past several days. Since most of the recent fighting was confined to the living room and upper floors, they didn't have to worry about any damaged equipment. Jacqueline headed over to Cyborg's bed and lowered it into a horizontal position so she could work on hooking the head up to the computer, which Blackfire began working on.

"You realize zat even if we find ze Titans, wherever zey're being held is going to have even more robots guarding zem," Jacqueline commented as she started attaching cables and wire between the head and the computer. "No doubt zey'll know zat Achilles is dead and will start doubling security everywhere."

"Come on, we just beat the guy that kept saying he was invincible…I think we can handle a couple dozen little robots who aren't invincible."

"You just love getting into fights don't you?"

"It's a Tamaranean thing."

"You crazy aliens," Jacqueline chuckled lightly as she walked over to join Blackfire at the computer. The Tamaranean stepped aside for Jacqueline, who began to type quickly on the keyboard. "Now hopefully Jinx's headshot didn't frag his entire hard drive."

"It took a shot straight to his face just to knock him out. I guarantee you that his head is like a vault." The computer screen began to come to life with hundreds of lines of code scrolling across, all of which made absolutely no sense to Blackfire. "Please tell me you can make some sense out of all that gibberish."

"Not yet. It's not surprise zat zere's about a hundred layers of security in zis guy. Fortunately, if I know Cyborg, which I do, he's going to have a hundred more different programs zat I can use to break through zis security shit." Windows and applications just began to pile onto the screen as Jacqueline. "A little deciphering here, a bit of bypassing zere, and a whole lot of decrypting everywhere. Now for a bit of…oh shit!" The flashing red screen was an immediate indicator that something was going wrong, to which Jacqueline began to type frantically at the keyboard.

"Red lights are bad…why are there red lights?"

"I just tripped a bunch of security counter-measures. It's trying to piggyback onto ze data stream. It's got a bank full of computer viruses zat'll be shoved down our computer's zroat is I can't stop it."

"Just pull the plug!"  
"I've only decrypted a bit of it if we pull ze plug now I won't be able to get back in without frying ze computer! Ah shit, it's establishing its connection!"

"To hell with this then," Blackfire muttered before blasting the severed head with a starbolt, sending it bouncing across the room. The red lights immediately ceased and all the activity on the computer screen ceased. Jacqueline simply sighed lightly to herself as she watched the head come to a rest against the wall. "You should start searching through what you managed to recover."

"You better hope I got enough cause you just blasted our only lead," Jacqueline bitterly replied. She figured she could've handled the situation…but instead Blackfire just took matters into her own hands.

"At least we have some data. If that head had established its connection, it would've fried our computer and left us with absolutely nothing to work with. Now find me something we can work with." Jacqueline began to type away again, scrolling through the recovered data files. A bulk of what she found was just old records and information about the Titans and other heroes in the world. There were a few pockets of useful information, though, which Jacqueline was able to isolate from the rest of the mess of data.

"I zink I found somezing," Jacqueline announced as she brought up an incomplete map of the city. "I found several references to a building called 'ze factory', which is located in zis sector of the old industrial parks. I zink it used to be an old automotive facility but most of ze industrial park has been converted in processing and refineries."

"How did we miss something like that?" Blackfire muttered as she looked at the red dot on the map.

"Zere's a lot of chemical plants around it. Ze amount of chemical residue put into the atmosphere would've made it hard for ze Tower's sensors to notice anyzing out of ze ordinary. Ze factory isn't ze only interesting location I found." A second red dot appeared along the shoreline of Jump City and about several miles from the Tower itself. "Very little information but it was referred to as ze shipyard. I zink it might be where zey're building whatever it is zat required all the ze stolen goods."

"Two places…both of which could be holding our Titans, if either. Hitting either one will tell them that we might know about the other. Which means we're going to have to hit both of them at the same time. Red X and I will blitz the factory while you, Jinx, and Kid Flash go after the shipyard. We'll catch them with their pants down."

"Except zat both will likely be heavily guarded. If zey are building somezing at the shipyard, it won't be able to go anywhere so long as we have ze parts zey need to complete it," Jacqueline reminded her. "I say we hit ze factory first, zen ze shipyard."

Blackfire took a moment to think about Jacqueline's suggestions. Just then, Jinx came rushing into the room with an urgent expression on her face. "Bad news! While we were too busy getting trashed by Achilles, the Legion just raided the police headquarters…more specifically their evidence locker. They've stolen everything that we stopped them from taking this afternoon."

Though Jacqueline was surprised by the news, Blackfire's expression didn't change at all. The new turn of events just reinforced her original plan. Now the Legion had the parts they needed and would be able to complete their plans if left undisturbed for too long. "Find the shipyard and find whatever it is that they're building and put it out of commission. Red X and I will go to the factory to find out what it is they've got hidden there…if I'm lucky, that's where the Titans will be."

"Good luck zen."


	30. Chapter 29: Taking the Offensive

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Taking the Offensive**

**"Are you sure this is the right address?** This doesn't exactly look like a building of any importance. Important buildings tend not to be so…falling apart-ish."

"Jacqueline confirmed the address twice, this is the place," Red X replied, though Blackfire was still a little skeptical about it. The pair hide behind a stack of old, rusted barrels down the road from the supposed factory they learned about from Achilles. It was certainly large enough to be the building they want but the exterior of the building looked like it was about ready to fall apart at a moment's notice. The masonry put the building's age well into it's fifties and the only part of the building that looks like it's been updated since it's creation was the main garage doors, which still looked as though they had seen much better days.

"Looks awfully quiet. I say we just burst in through the front door and slaughter everything in sight."

"That's making the assumption that this actually is a Legion outpost, for all we know it could be a dilapidated building that used to have some importance to the Legion."

"Oh yeah? Tell it to those guys," Blackfire said as she pointed to hoplites flying in from the west. The two Legionnaires landed swiftly in front of the main doors, which promptly opened up for them, and they disappeared inside the facility. "Now can I start slaughtering them?"

"You don't even know how many are in there."

"Since when have you been Mr. Cautious?"

"Since I started giving two shits about what happens to you."

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I'm a thief, remember? I get more kicks out of outwitting my opponents, not beating them senseless."

Blackfire frowned slightly, accepting that she has just come to an impasse with her comrade. A new strategy would be needed if they were to come to an agreement since neither was interested in the other's way of doing things. As much as she hated to admit, Red X did have a valid concern about her plan of action – she didn't know how many she'd be fighting against if she just charged right in; she'd prefer to have Red X at her side if she were to get into a massive brawl. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to fulfill the 'sneakiness' requirement needed to infiltrate the facility undetected. Truth be told, Blackfire was about as subtle as a herd of elephants.

"Alright I've got an idea," Blackfire finally spoke up with that confident smirk across her face once more. "You can go off and do your stealthy shit, in the meantime I'll distract them with hit and runs from out here."

"Simple, insane, and very risky but also challenging…it's perfect." Red X took a quick peek over the barrels to make sure that the coast was clear for his approach. "Wait for me to get inside before you start with the fireworks." After Blackfire quickly nodded in agreement, Red X did a quick hop over the barrels and teleported out of sight. Blackfire sat back and waited for a short while as she figured it'd take Red X about a minute or two to be in far enough that once the alarms go off it won't hinder his progress. Then, of course, came her own battle strategy; if she didn't engage the Legion enough, too many might remain in the base and find Red X but if she engaged too much she could be overwhelmed, though she considered that a minor concern.

"Hm, now how should I get their attention? I could just start bombarding the building…or maybe throw something huge through the roof. Maybe I should be conveniently 'spotted' trying to sneak in," she pondered as she tapped her fingertips against her chin. Eventually, she just shrugged her shoulders and took to the air. "I think I'll just knock!"

The Tamaranean flew at top speed towards the rusted front door, figuring it'll give easily upon impact – like punching through a piece of tissue. However, a piece of tissue it might be, she didn't take into account that directly behind the large metallic door was an even thicker, brand-spanking new metal door that was the equivalent of a brick wall behind the tissue. There was a thunderous crash when the Tamaranean flattened against the front door like a bug against a cartoon coyote against the cliff face. One thing was for certain though - the Legion would definitely have heard that knocking.

"World…in pain…" she groaned as she slowly slid down the wall and collapsed on the ground. It'd be a miracle if she didn't walk away from the impact with a mild concussion but gradually her senses started coming back to her. Looking up at the door, she realized that there was more it than it appeared since the only visible damage was a very slight dent where she came to an abrupt halt.

However, before Blackfire could ponder the curiosity of the door, it began to open up again revealing a hoplite that had come out to investigate the disturbance. It's eyes immediately fell upon the stunned Tamaranean, whose eyes were widen in panic at being caught in such an embarrassing predicament.

"Plan B!" Blackfire grunted to herself as she fired her eye beams in a wide sweep across the hoplite's shins, severing the warrior from his feet. She had to roll to the side quickly as the hoplite fell crashed into the ground where she once lay mere seconds ago. The feint sound of blaring alarms served as motivation to get back on her feet and get to work. "Don't mind me, I'll show myself in," she remarked before delivering a kick to the downed hoplite, decapitating it in one swift motion.

Flying deeper into the facility, it didn't take Blackfire very long to stumble across the main assembly area where dozens of Legionnaire soldiers toiled away endlessly at producing new soldiers to replenish their lost numbers. The entire process was automated but had been shut down the moment the alarms began to sound and all the soldiers once working on the assembly line grabbed their guns and had prepared themselves for an assault. Blackfire had to use every ounce of flying acrobatics that she had in order to evade the constant barrage of gunfire was dozens of hoplites and centaurs. Luckily for her, the assembly area was large and spacious enough for her to move around with plenty of speed. She weaved through the assembly line equipment, letting the enemy gunfire do most of the damage to her surroundings. Periodically, she took the opportunity to strafe a few hoplites but there was simply too much gunfire for her to stay in a straight line long enough to do any real damage with her starbolts. It was just as Red X had warned her about – she was so overwhelmed by the gunfire she could get close enough to deal some real damage to them. However, she was accomplishing what she had set out to do – she was distracting them.

In another sector of the facility, the blaring alarms caught the attention of some other people. Robin, trying to get some rest after many long, sleepless nights confined in a small cell, stirred back to life. At first he was a bit puzzled by the absence of his Tamaranean girlfriend, who had been sleeping against him last time he checked, and then even more puzzled by the sounds of an alarm in the background. "What's going on?" Robin grumbled.

"Something is happening outside," Starfire, who was peering out the small window in the door to try and see if she could figure out exactly what. The small, barred window didn't offer very much of a view except for the other side of the hall where Raven was holed up in her specially designed, private cell.

"You think somebody might be attacking?"

"Maybe. I do not know. I cannot see anything."

"Intruder. Left flank. Fire at will." They both could hear the shouts and gunfire of hoplites from down the hall, followed by a rapid series of explosions. The only thing that Starfire could see through it all was an empty corridor and then the head of a hoplite flying down the hall.

"Komand'r…" she muttered softly as the realization dawned upon her. It was purely a gut instinct but it had rarely failed her in times of peril and every ounce of her being was telling her that her sister was responsible for the alarms. However, when a face suddenly appeared right in front of the window it wasn't the elder Tamaranean, it was the black-masked thief. The sudden appearance of a person she would never have expected to show startled Starfire, causing her to jump back from the door with a shriek of fright.

"That's a very funny 'am I glad to see you'," Red X remarked a bit cynically as he peered through the window to see whom else was in the cell. Unlike Starfire, Robin was frowning harshly upon seeing Red X and immediately took Star's place at the door. "Man, you look like crap."

"What are you doing here?" Robin immediately demanded, sparing with the pleasantries.

"Alarms are going off, hoplites are exploding, and I'm standing on the other side of a cell door…what do you think I'm here for? Now be a good boy and step away from the door." Robin didn't like being talked back to in such a manner but he wasn't going to argue with somebody was about to bust them out of his prison cell. After the two Titans stood as far back from the door as they could, Red X blasted the door off its hinges with some precision demolitions. "Now I prefer taking my thanks in the form of cash or money order."

"How did you find us?" Starfire questioned as she exited the cell first.

"Long story and I'm not in the mood for story telling," Red X replied as he directed Starfire's attention down the hallway he came from. "Keep going down that hall until you hit the main area…your sister should be there and I don't know how long she can keep them busy." Starfire simply nodded and flew as fast as she could to help her sister. Robin still wasn't at ease with Red X playing hero like this but since Red X has shown in the past to be capable of fighting alongside the Titans, he was going to accept the assistance for now.

"Why are you doing this Red X?"

"God, what's with the twenty questions all of a sudden? How about you bust some skulls and we can do Q&A later. And here, you'll want this," Red X finished by tossing Robin's utility belt to him. Unfortunately, Robin had to admit that Red X did have a point – now wasn't the time to be asking questions. After watching Red X for a moment as he headed to the next cell to free the Titans within, Robin headed on his way to help the Tamaraneans.

Back in the assembly area, the distraction was beginning to wind down on its effectiveness. After being struck by gunfire, Blackfire crashed painfully into a pile of empty crates and barrels. A centaur began to close in on the collapsed debris with several hoplites on each flank to maintain a tight perimeter around the crash site. The Tamaranean merely lay in wait beneath the piles of wood and tin, waiting for an ideal moment to strike back…and praying that they didn't just start putting rounds into the crates. The centaur foolish decided to be the one to check the crates personally and when he stepped too close the trap was sprung. Blackfire burst out of the debris and with a starbolt charged around her fist, a wide sweep of her fist seared through the front legs of the centaur and caused it to topple forward. A powerful punch square to the chest sent the crippled centaur flying into a grouping of hoplites and knocking them all over. Despite the swiftness and ferocity of her attacks, there was still a grouping of hoplites she hadn't dealt with and there was more than sufficient time to take aim at her. She knew damn well there wasn't time to dodge at this close range but before the hoplites could take a single shot, they were all hit with a barrage of green starbolts and explosive discs from up high.

"Sis!" Blackfire called out upon seeing Starfire and Robin landing on the assembly floor to join the fight.

"I knew you would come for me!" Starfire exclaimed as she raced over and embraced her older sister in a tight hug.

"For once I'm glad to see you too sis," Blackfire replied jokingly. "Now could you stop that, you know I'm not the hugging type."

"Besides, we've got bigger things to deal with," Robin reminded them both as he directed their attention to the regrouping hoplites and centaurs. As the Legionnaires began to move in, they came under attack as several large pieces of mechanical equipment came crashing down atop of them, followed by several large blasts of blue energy and a flurry of explosive shurikens – it was Red X and the remaining Titans. It was payback time and each Titan had an axe to grind with the Legion. Just as the surviving Legionnaires began picking themselves off the ground, Beast Boy landed atop of them in the form of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Several were crushed beneath his giant feet and his massive jaws clamped down atop of another and began thrashing it about.

"Looks like your friends have got it under control," Blackfire commented as she smirked proudly as the destruction the Titans were raining down upon the hapless Legionnaires.

"Tell me sister, how were you able to find us? What has happened in our absence?"

"The short version – robot clones of you tried to cause havoc in the city but Jinx, Red X, Jacquelined, Kid Flash, and I were able to put an end to their little escapades. Then all your former opponents starting causing trouble in the city and we had to take care of them…then Achilles tried to blow us all up and we had to destroy him, after which Jacqueline was able to get the location of some vital points for the Legion. I've got Jinx and the others going after some place called the shipyard not too far from the Tower, which, by the way, is a bit of a mess now."

"And…why is the Red X helping you?"

"Cause he's my boy toy," Blackfire grinned, stunning both her sister and Robin.

"Boy toy? Is that what I am now?" Red X's voice cut in and he and the remaining Titans all regrouped.

"How about we not talk about my private life and worry about the Legion?"

"We would except we just finished whooping their metals butts," Cyborg answered as he pointed over to the piles of wrecked soldiers strewed across the assembly floor.

"It was way too easy," Blackfire remarked. "I would've expected a place like this to have been a little more heavily guarded."

"Wait, what about Dr. Pangalos?" Robin asked. "He had some sort of lab somewhere in this facility."

"I found it already – there was nobody there though," Red X explained. "Jacqueline thinks the Legion is building something at the other location. If he's important, he's probably there instead."

"Then let's get over there quickly," Robin instructed as the seven heroes prepared to move out to join the other heroes at the shipyard. However, they weren't about to leave just yet as a new obstacle was waiting for them at the far side of the assembly floor. Having just returned from commanding the latest set of raids, the Legion general, Heracles, barred the Titans' path, along with about another two dozen hoplites and centaurs.

"You shall not be going anywhere," Heracles calmly stated as he and his troops marched into the assembly area. "There shall be no leniency tonight – kill them all."

"Buddy, you've picked a bad time to mess with me!" Cyborg shouted back, his rage for the Legion flaring up at the sight of the general. Personally, he had been hoping to see Bellerophon instead but there was still a chance of getting his payback against that general later. Cyborg vowed he would make them all pay for what they did to him…what they did to Atalanta.

--------------

"Christ, look at ze size of zat building," Jacqueline remarked in awe as the three heroes arrived at the alleged location of the 'shipyard' as mentioned in Achilles old databanks. The building was located away from the major roads and wasn't part of any of the major dock works further up the shoreline. In hindsight, each of them had to wonder why nobody ever thought suspiciously of such a large building completely disconnected from the rest of the city – no roads, visible pathways, and aside from a few paved clearings there was barely any means to ship large supplies in by conventional air transports.

"How did we miss something like this?" Kid Flash rhetorically asked, as the three heroes remained hidden in the rocky highlands surrounding the large building.

"This building's been here a long time. It used to be an old testing ground for the military hence why the only way in is by water or air," Jinx explained as she got a closer look by using a pair of binoculars that Jacqueline brought. "If the Legion are building something here, chances are it's going to be freaking huge. Building looks to be seven or eight stories high and somewhere around three hundred meters in length. You could build a boat in something that big."

"I zink it actually used to be a dry-dock."

"I can't tell if it's actually being used. There aren't any…oh, wait a second. I see something moving," Jinx lowered her voice near the end while adjusting the focus knobs on her binoculars. "I see a hoplite. Looks like he's dumping some stuff into the water."

"That's perfect – now we can add polluting the water to their list of charges."

"Shut up and go scout out the perimeter," Jinx growled while shooting Kid Flash a harsh glare. He decided not to argue with her and just headed off to do a quick sweep around the perimeter. If this building was important, chances were he'd see some sign of it on his scouting run…or the Legion would see him and they would start flying out of the woodworks to stop him. Either way they'd have the answer they were looking for. "Ten buck says its some kind of doomsday machine in there."

"I say it's a giant robot."

"Giant robot? You sound like this is some kind of Japanese cartoon show."

"Says the girl who thinks it's a Saturday morning cartoon. Who calls them Doomsday machines these days?"

"Of course, I forgot that you went to HIVE academy and learned all the tricks of being a good villain. Oh wait, that was me!" Jinx quipped mockingly. "My senior year final assignment was to design a doomsday machine, so don't argue with me about their existence. I used to design them in my spare time."

"Sure, between the unicorns I bet."

"What? He told you about them?" Jinx snapped. "Gah, that damn loud-mouthed idiot."

"You can always tell me really embarrassing zings about him if it'll make you feel better," Jacqueline replied, suppressing a small chuckle in the process. Jinx just pushed her annoyances out of her mind, just in time as Kid Flash made his return just a few moments later. Since there were no alarms blaring or a panicked look on his face, the two girls assumed that the hero brought good news.

"No major sign of activity on the outside except for a few cameras watching the large cargo doors," Kid Flash reported as he pointed to the large garage doors in the distance. "Every window's been boarded up from the inside but I think I've found a way for us to sneak in. There's a small door on the opposite side of the building - probably an old maintenance entrance. It's been locked up but I figured that shouldn't be a problem for the two of you." Setting aside personal disputes, the three heroes hurried on their way, with Kid Flash in the lead, to this side entrance and, hopefully, some answers. As Kid Flash had described, the small side entrance was locked up with a number of chains, padlocks, and a massive external locked that fitted over the doorknob and the metal doorframe. While too small for any Legionnaires to use, it was perfect for a regular person and was completely unmonitored by the security cameras.

"Give me a few minutes and I should have all of zese open," Jacqueline said confidently as she searched through her belt for her lock pick kit.

"Or we could do it the easy way," Jinx added with a snap of her fingers. After a series of purple flashes each lock fell apart, unsealing the door.

"Well let me at least check to see what's on ze other side before we open up and walk right into zeir bosses' office," Jacqueline said while maintaining a calm demeanor despite being upstaged. She pulled out a small, coiled camera, which she promptly used to slide under the door and peer at what's on the other side. Though the other two were more than willing to find out the old fashion way, they scrounged up the patience to indulge Jacqueline's cautious nature. Peering through the small video eyepiece, Jacqueline fiddled with the camera for a few moments before finally pulling it out and putting the snake camera away. "I…zink you might want to see zis for yourself," she said softly with a grim tone that made the others a little nervous.

Deftly, Jacqueline opened the door and, while keeping low, slipped into the building followed by Jinx and Kid Flash close behind. Inside, their jaws almost hit the floor upon seeing what had riled Jacqueline's nerves moments ago.

Stretching to the very limits of the ceiling and from one end of the building to the next was a colossal vessel in dry dock. At first glance it look somewhat like a boat of some sort with a strong rigid keel stretching down the length of the vessel at the very apex of its bottom half. The length of its underbelly was adored with open hatches and portholes, some of which were in the process of receiving or already possessed small cannons. At one end, which appeared to be the stern of the vessel, a large disc-like extension came out of the hull covered in large panes of glass. Two massive tubes connected to each side of the hull, running lengthwise, near the top of the vessel, tubes that looked like enlarged versions of the anti-gravity emitters they had seen numerous times on the backs of hoplites. Between the emitters on each side were another series of tubes that extended from the body of the ship – their functions at the moment unknown. Though all they could see what the bottom of the hull, the size and dimensions of the vessel were impressive on its own. Surrounding the entire vessel was a complex network of scaffolding where numerous hoplites were busy working to get the vessel finished as quickly as possible.

"Does that count as a Doomsday machine?" Jinx muttered softly.

"No…but I zink it'll still do the 'doom' part fairly well. A flying warship…why didn't I zink of zat? At least we know why zey stole all zose anti-gravity components."

"Any idea how we're supposed to stop something that big?"

"There's too many of those robots to fight," Kid Flash added reluctantly.

"Crap, quick; take cover!" Jacqueline urged as she pushed the others along to take cover behind some empty barrels, which littered the floor of the dry dock. Cautiously peering over the top, they saw a group of people being accompanied by a handful of hoplites. Jinx immediately recognized one of them.

"It's Brother Blood…dammit, if he's here then probably won't be long before they're done. The other guy must be that Slade guy Robin's also so worked up about," Jinx whispered to her friends. None of them recognized Dr. Pangalos, who was the third person in the group. The three heroes watched from their hiding spot until Slade, Blood, and Pangalos were led up a lengthy flight of stairs and disappeared onto the top of the ship. "I'm not exactly sure how we're going to do this…"

"I zink our best bet would be to get on board that vessel and destroy it from ze inside."

"There are probably a hundred eyes watching that thing. We'd need a miracle to get on board without being seen." Once again Jinx didn't want to be the one with all the negative vibes but she had to keep things a bit on the realistic side.

"Speaking of which, you'd think for something as important as this there would be a lot more armed guards around," Kid Flash commented. The sudden, distinct noise of a weapon charging up quickly answered that concern. The three heroes turned about and looked up to the catwalk that lined the perimeter of the building, where a dozen hoplites had their weapons trained on them. In the center of them was none other than Bellerophon himself.

"I should have expected that arrogant fool of a general would screw up," Bellerophon growled angrily as he kept his cannon locked onto Jinx. "No more games Titans…no more holding back. We end this now little humans."

Jinx merely smirked as her hand reached back for her new weapon, which Jacqueline had fixed to a sling for her. "Sure…why not?"


	31. Chapter 30: The Argo

**Chapter Thirty: The Argo**

**"Festering, watery sacks of flesh…stand aside!" **Heracles terrifying bellows echoed throughout the factory as his lumbering frame charged through the ranks of the Titans. He bowled down all seven of them, sending the Titans scattering across the floor. With the Titans stunned, the remainder of the Legionnaires moved in to surround the Titans before they could regroup.

"Titans, break through the hoplite lines and get the hell out of here, I'll keep the big guy busy!" Robin shouted to his comrades as the giant general charged towards him.

"We can't just leave you here with him," Cyborg argued, being the nearest to Robin.

"I'll be fine, you've got to get out of here." The Titan leader was steadfast in his decision and his opposition to Heracles. He leapt back as the general's club crashed down into the ground and then he counter-attacked by whipping a trio of explosive discs into the general's chest. Aside from a bit of aggravation, the general continued pushing through the retaliation and pressed his attack.

"Come on Cyborg, he's made his decision," Raven insisted, using her magic to uplift some more large pieces of machinery and fling it into some of the oncoming hoplites.

"Can't you just teleport us all out of here?"

"I'd need us to be together and I'd need time to concentrate – something I can't do when I'm being shot at," she answered, raising a shield in front of her as hoplites opened fire. "Where's Beast Boy?"

Cyborg took a quick look about and found Beast Boy, back in his Tyrannosaurus form and chomping down on hoplites left, right, and center. Their small blasters weren't having much luck in hurting the massive beast's thick hide. "He…seems to be doing fine for himself," Cyborg finally answered. "Well I'll bust their lines but I ain't leaving just yet. Raven, give me a boost!"

"Have fun storming the castle," she muttered as a black disc formed below Cyborg. With Raven's magic acting as a launch pad, Cyborg was catapulted across the assembly floor and crashed down atop of a squad of robots. Raven merely watched with slight amazement as an explosion and cloud of smoke obscured her friend from sight. He had a lot of built-up anger to release and she figured he'd be venting those angers for quite a while. She had her own axe to grind though and while revenge was not something she indulged in very often, if at all, she was going to make sure that the Legion paid dearly for their deeds. Finding the first hoplite she could, Raven simply created an expanding orb of her magic within the hoplite's chest cavity, which burst apart the machine like a over-filled balloon.

Not too far away, the Tamaranean sisters were pinned down behind some machinery by hoplite gunfire. "These guys certainly know how to make a party fun," Blackfire chuckled lightly as she glanced over her cover, nearly getting her head taken off by more gunfire. "And here I thought I was going to be the one doing all the rescuing."

"Then us let simply help one another," Starfire smiled back as she charged up a starbolt.

"How about we wait about five seconds…"

"What is going to happen?" Of course, that question was immediately answered with some waiting as several explosions and the sound of cleaving metal echoed from their attackers' position.

"My personal guardian angel," Blackfire answered as she peered from behind cover to see the broken remains of hoplites and Red X standing amongst them. "Took you long enough X."

"If you don't want me here I could circle around the block and come back," he replied mockingly as he sat on one of the dismembered torsos. "Blackfire, you make sure that the others get out of here and I'll take care of things here." He didn't even wait for the girls to thank him before he disappeared into the unknown.

"What does he speak of sister?"

"Just giving us some more incentive to get out of here quickly," Blackfire answered as she flew into the air to give her friends some air support. Starfire only needed to think about it for a moment before she realized what her sister had meant. The Titans had to get out of that building because there wasn't going to be much of a building left in a few minutes. Soon, the two Tamaraneans joined their comrades in the battle against the hoplites. One by one the machines were felled by their combined strength.

"Your determination is admirable human but you are out-classed significantly," Heracles remarked as he and Robin circled one another. "Why do you do this human? He who lacks power standing against those with tremendous."

"Strength is but one aspect of power," Robin sternly replied as he pulled out his bo staff. "How about I show you just how powerful I am."

"It would be an honour." The giant general answered coolly as he hoisted his club above his head in preparation. There was no need for further words between the two. The war aging around them became a distant though, for each of them there was nothing more important than here and now with a worthy adversary. Heracles struck first, charging full speed at Robin and bringing down his club with terrifying strength; the very earth seemed to quake at the magnitude of his strength. Robin, however, didn't falter for an instant as he rolled out of the attack's way and struck back with a precision blow to the head. With the seemingly overwhelming size discrepancy, Robin had few options other than to just keep landing blows on what he figured was a vital point. Striking somebody made entirely of metal and impervious to pain wasn't didn't have much of a positive outcome though…but Robin pressed on anyways. Even when his hands began to ache from the repeated blows, he just kept using his superior agility to dance around Heracles' cumbersome swings and counter-attack with his staff.

"You're attacks…are beginning…to pique me," Heracles growled between his received hits. Finally giving into the frustrations, Heracles grabbed Robin with his free hand and slammed the hero into the ground. "I commend your efforts human but you are not going to get anywhere using such feeble attacks." Winded from the ferocity of his opponent's attack, Robin lay helpless as Heracles lifted his club for the finishing blow. Before the giant could bring it down though, a series of explosions began to rip through the walls from further into the facilities. The whole building shook from the blasts as more and more explosions began to blow apart the machinery and infrastructure.

"Come on Robin, it's time to bail!" Cyborg shouted from the far side of the assembly floor where the other Titans had gathered after breaking through the hoplite lines.

"You are not getting out of here!" Heracles shouted as he turned his attention to the other Titans. As the Legionnaire began to charged, Robin took the opportunity to distract the general further by using his grappling hook to trip his adversary, sending the several tonne robot toppling to the ground.

"Don't worry about me just get out of here!" Robin shouted again before he jumped onto the general's back to continue distracting the might warrior. The Titans were reluctant but eventually hurried out of the facility one by one. Nobody wanted to leave, especially the two Tamaraneans as both of their loved ones were still inside the building. Both had to put their faith in Robin and Red X's abilities though…neither of the boys would abandon them now.

"An interesting display of heroics," Heracles remarked as he knocked the hero off of him and rose back to his feet. Flames were beginning to engulf the entire building, bathing the assembly floor in a sea of flames. "Why do you not run human? What reason do you have to stay?"

"Because you need to be stopped," Robin answered, gripping his bo staff again.

"Once again I have been humbled by your selflessness. If only more humans displayed such heroics…the world would have no need for warriors like us."

"Why would the world need the likes of you? All you seek to do is destroy."

"Destruction and creation are forged from the same will. Let us see whose will burns stronger." Amidst the inferno and collapsing masonry, the two warriors engaged in one last duel. As Heracles rushed towards Robin, pieces of the ceiling crashed to the ground between them, obscuring the young Titan from sight momentarily. By the time Heracles realized that the Titan was no longer standing where he last saw him, Robin was already coming in from above. The powerful blow knocked the general toppling into some burning machinery. "What does your heart desire warrior?" Heracles' ominous voice echoed from the wreckage as the lumbering figure emerged from the flames.

"My heart?" Robin asked, taken a bit by surprise by the question. He pondered the answer as he ducked and leapt over several attacks from his opponent.

"What do you want most of all?" Heracles rephrased the question as he struck the hero's staff and sent Robin sliding across the floor, miraculously the Titan managed to stay on his feet in the end.

"I want…a world where I can be happy…with her," he finally answered, hoping that the heat was started to affect his judgment. "A world where…nobody has to suffer needlessly."

"You seek an end to the chaos," Heracles answered calmly. "If only more people fought for their dreams as powerfully as you."

"Not everybody can…that's why I fight even harder so that others don't have to."

"You carry a heavy burden then child."

"It's a burden I'm willing to take."

"Let us see how strong you integrity!" The general charged forth again, forcing Robin to evade his powerful swing once again. This time, though, the general was ready for Robin's attempt to counter-attack and a quick thrust of his shoulder sent the Boy Wonder flying across the room and into the wall. As Robin tried to regain his composure, more of the ceiling began to cave in, including a steel beam that came cascading from directly above. Robin didn't even notice it until it was almost right on top of him…when suddenly something moved in right above him and the steel beam pierced through it, stopping just inches from Robin's head. It took a moment for him to realize that it was Heracles himself looming over him, who used to his own body to shield Robin from the debris.

"Heracles…" he muttered in shock.

"I…would have liked…to have seen this world of yours…" the giant groaned before collapsing to the ground before him.

"W-why'd you do that? Why did you just save me?"

"Because I too…seek an end…to the chaos. You…your resilience…if you can…inspire others to follow…then the Legion…would not be needed."

"Needed? What's that supposed to mean? What are you planning?"

"The burden you carry…will be a heavy one…more than you can imagine. Know when to pass it on…or it will…destroy you…" The generals' voice was beginning to fade and he had yet to answer Robin's question. He had to lean in closer just to hear the dying words; they were just barely above a whispered and they left Robin speechless. It didn't answer his question…just left him more perplexed.

Outside the facility, the other Titans were beginning to grow more worrisome over the ever-increasing absence of their two comrades. Every explosion that blasted another hole in the building made the two Tamaraneans wince in anxiety of the possibility.

"Come on Robin, where are you?" Cyborg muttered as he continued watching the broken garage doorway that they exited through. The flames and smoke were pouring out of every orifice in the building, leaving less and less time for a safe escape. Things were beginning to look grim until Beast Boy shouted for everyone's attention and pointed to a silhouette in emerging through the smoke. It was Red X…and Robin! The black thief had the Boy Wonder thrown over one shoulder and was running like a bat out of hell. Cheers erupted from the Titans once the two boys made it clear and just in the nick of time as the building slowly began to collapse moments later.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted as she hurried to his side, worried that he was injured.

"Found this guy half-conscious inside…bit too much heat for him," Red X answered, setting the Titan leader into Starfire's arms.

"I'm just relieved you got out," Blackfire remarked, throwing her arms around the thief.

"Now that the party's calmed down, maybe you two can start explaining things," Cyborg said as the Titans turned to their unlikely rescuers. "For starters how the heck did you convince him to help?"

"Oh, him? Well, let's just say it took a special kind of lady to tame this dog," Blackfire chuckled, which only grew louder when she saw the expression on the Titans' faces when they realized what she had subtly hinted at.

"So what's been going on anyways? I don't know about you but I've pretty much been in a cave with no windows for the past several days," Beast Boy asked, focusing the heroes' attention back to the Legion.

"It's a long story – I'll explain it on the way."

--------------

"There's just too many of them!" Jinx shouted to her comrades, firing several rounds from his rifle blindly around the corner. Her words were falling on deaf ears though as Kid Flash was too busy running about trying to avoid the gunfire and still take down hoplites at the same time and Jacqueline had managed to work her way up to the catwalks and was battling hoplites up there. "I need a bigger gun…" she grumbled, aiming at a hoplite in the air and shooting him down. On the bright side, at least taking a firearm with her was making life a lot easier for her. Now she could see why some people were so interested in them – faster than using her magic at times.

Unfortunately, the barrels she had been using for covering were beginning to falter on their protective abilities…namely cause they had more holes in them than a sponge. Quickly looking for a means to escape, Jinx noticed some chains dangling from a ceiling-mounted crane. Sprinting for the chain, Jinx blasted the crane's winch with her magic, causing it to short out and retract its chain. Jinx rode it up, eluding the hoplites on the ground floor for a little while, and hopped off onto the nearby catwalk. There was marginally better cover on the catwalk and she continued her firefight with the hoplites on the ground level.

"Yikes zis zing is huge," Jacqueline muttered to herself flying across the bow of the ship. She had a full view of the top-half of the vessel, which was highly reminiscent of a warship back in the old days. It had a large command tower in the center, flanked on the bow and stern by a massive double-barreled deck gun. Flying to the side starboard side of the ship, she leapt off her guitar and landed on the scaffolding that surrounded the vessel. "Excuse me," she shouted, slamming her guitar into a hoplite and knocking it over the edge.

"Going somewhere?" Bellerophon's familiar voice echoed as he landed on the planks ahead of her. Just as she was about to ready herself for combat, a pink aura surrounded the general and the floor beneath him collapsed under his weight, sending the general crashing through layer and layer of metal and wood.

"Nope, but you are," she chuckled before waving over to Jinx on the nearby catwalk. Of course, the several tonne machine crashing through a scaffolding was going to weaken it's integrity and Jacqueline quickly jumped back onto her guitar and flew off seconds before the entire framework collapsed, along with all the hoplites on it. "Nice work, let's do zat to ze other side," Jacqueline suggested after she flew over to join her friend. Nodding in agreement, Jinx carefully hopped aboard Jacqueline's ride and the pair flew to the opposite side of the ship where Jinx was able to work her magic and cause a collapse of the other sections of the scaffolding. The three heroes meddling were throwing the entire shipyard into disarray. The fast moving targets was making it hard to keep track of where each hostile was, which Jinx and the others exploited regularly.

"Drop me off over there," Jinx instructed to her friend. Jacqueline did as asked and let the sorceress off next to the controls of ceiling-mounted crane. As Jacqueline flew off to continue battling the hoplites, Jinx worked quickly to move the crane into a good position over some unsuspecting hoplites. She spotted a good cluster busy trying to land a hit on the teenage speedster. When the massive crane was in position, Jinx began to target the crane's framework with his hexes, which destroyed the integrity of the structure and the crane broke free of its guide rails. The chaos spread further as a result as the crane and its framework crashing onto squads of troops.

"How I grow tired of this trite, little game," Bellerophon grumbled, digging himself free of the metal and wood debris. Charging up his cannon, the general took aim at the unsuspecting Jinx and was just about to fire when suddenly a metallic hand grabbed the barrel of his cannon and wrenched it out of shape. "What the-" The general's words were cut short by an energy blast from point-blank range, throwing him across the floor. "Well…if it isn't the Halfling," Bellerophon mused as he got back to his feet to stand off against Cyborg. He wasn't surprised to see the Titan free, nor was he surprised to see a wall on the far side of the building blast apart and allow the remaining Titans to join the fight.

"Where's Atalanta?" Cyborg demanded, aiming at the disarmed general.

"Don't you have a one-track mind," Bellerophon chuckled mockingly. "The girl you want no longer exists…and she never did. Machines do not live remember? What you fell for was just an elaborate mask created for that exact purpose."

"She was more real than you ever could be and you had no right to use her like that."

"We're machines, that's our purpose – to be used."

"She's more than just a machine…you made her to be above that."

"A petty believe brought about by your humanity. Why do you care so much? It's not like she could ever really 'love' you back…she's a machine. She's incapable of such a thing in the truest of senses. We didn't just design somebody you'd fall for…we designed somebody that would fall for you as well…even with your…disfigurement." That last part struck a nerve, signified by the charging hum of his sonic cannon. "You're too human for a machine to truly appreciate…and too machine for any human to want."

"Don't push me…"

"Or you'll what? Shoot? I am unarmed and defenseless…you would kill an unarmed opponent? I know you're above such petty motives of revenge. I know you well enough you don't do that kind of thing."

"Then answer my question - where is she?"

"Aboard the Argo," the general answered and motioned towards the vessel next to them. "You can't stop it. Once that vessel is unleashed, your world shall be purged in a baptism of fire."

"You're insane."

"Wish I could take credit it." Over the chaos behind them, gears could be heard grinding to life. The giant hangar doors ahead of the ship began to slide open, revealing the Jump City harbor. "Speaking of launch…"

"Too bad you won't be around to see that," Cyborg said grimly before he suddenly fired. The sonic blast hit the general square in the chest – with no precautions taken, the full force of the energy pierced through the frontal armour, punching a hole through him. Two more blasts followed suit, ripping more holes through the twisted general…leaving nothing more than a battered body behind. "You're right though…I wouldn't kill an unarmed criminal – good thing machines aren't alive."

Cyborg sighed lightly to himself, glancing over his shoulder to see the rest of the Titans wrapping up the last of the hoplites. Of course, now the Titans had to deal with the giant vessel before them. Another distinct noise pierced through the air – hydraulics. Cyborg felt a shift in the floor…and then realized that the entire vessel sat on an elevator platform that was slowly lowering. The bay water began to creep into the inlet the lowering platform was creating. Cyborg took one last look at the remains of the general, watching the water surround the wreckage.

"Am I glad to see you guys," Jacqueline sighed in relief as the Titans began to regroup.

"What is that thing?" Robin asked as they all looked to the vessel that was slowly being lowered into the water.

"It's called the Argo," Cyborg answered. "And whatever it is exactly, I can guarantee you that it's got a lot of firepower."

"Your friend Slade and Blood are on it too," Jinx added.

"Along with the mother of all particle cannons…" Robin muttered.

"Then we need to be on that ship," Blackfire commented and then pointed to the ship's stern. "And Cyborg..." Standing at the very tail of the vessel was none other than the winged, mechanical beauty, Atalanta. Her face was devoid of emotion, merely a dull, defiant gaze as she watched the Titans' every action. She held something in her hand, which she merely tossed overboard towards the Titans. Just a few feet from them, a single, golden B landed on the ground.

"That's one of Bumblebee's…" Cyborg's voice trailed off at the realization. The last group of Titans was still held captive…and they were on board the Argo. "Come on, we can still make it if we hurry!"

The ship was already beginning to drift out into the harbor, its deck cannons now visible to the Titans down below. As the Titans tried to move in, the lady on deck began firing her sonic disruptor at the Titans. Soon, more hoplites joined her on deck and began firing to keep the Titans from approaching. It was Atalanta's aim that proved most effective as she picked off each of the Titans' fliers as they tried to pursue in the air. Fortunately, none of them were seriously hurt but it was a serious deterrent for their pursuits. "We can't even get close to it," Robin grunted as he ran for cover from the gunfire.

"Raven, can you get us on board?" Cyborg asked his nearby comrade.

She merely nodded in response but when she began to focus for the spell, another precision blast from the rogue Atalanta knocked Raven off her feet. Clearly, the agent of the Legion intended to keep the Titans from pursuing and nothing more; whether this was an act of mercy or merely another one of Slade's mocking gestures was unknown. Eventually, the Titans just had to give up on trying to board it now and watched as the vessel exited the shipyard and was free in the harbor.

"Maybe if you got ze T-ship and…"

"The T-ship was blown up, remember?" Robin reminded.

"We wait for it to get airborne zen."

"Airborne? That thing can fly?"

"A particle cannon wouldn't be effective on a ship – it needs direct line of sight to hit somezing. It's best mode of operation is in ze air. When it's airborne we can fly in from below. Zat girl won't be able to hit us from zere."

"Good plan and all…" Blackfire began. "But think we might want to be running now." Blackfire directed the Titans' attention to the Argo once again; this time it was to the double-barreled deck cannon that was beginning to turn towards the shipyard.

"Should've seen that coming," Cyborg muttered.

Moments later, the high-caliber deck cannons unleashed their deadly payload and the shipyard was reduced to rubble in an earth-shaking explosion. Content with the belief that its pursuers were gone, the Argo began to sail away and off to Jump City…


	32. Chapter 31: Fallen Angel

**Chapter Thirty-One: Fallen Angel**

**"Now that was a close call," Blackfire remarked as she and her friends looked to the smoldering remains of the shipyard in the distance. ** It was thankfully only because of Raven's quick thinking that the Titans were able to escape safely and were now standing upon the deck of the Argo, which was now sailing towards the center of the bay. They stood just under the aft deck cannon, a little uncertain of what their next course of action should be. They had spent the past several minutes just making sure that all the Titans were up to speed on what was known, what was going on, and just what was at stake here.

"From what Cyborg kept saying, I figured it was going to be a bigger gun…that wasn't so bad," Beast Boy remarked.

"That's not the cannon we're worried about," Raven informed him, which just elicited an exasperated sigh. "A particle cannon will likely be housed within the ship until it's ready for use."

"And since it needs a direct line of sight, it's probably only usable when ze ship is in ze air," Jacqueline added. "It's probably near the bottom of the ze ship…I'm willing to be near ze bow of ze ship as well."

"Then we keep the ship from getting airborne. How hard could that be?"

"Because, o' green one, while you might not see it with ze small ones, ze big ones produce a lot gamma rays as a bi-product of ze energy processes. If we damage zese, it could rain radiation all over ze city." Before Jacqueline could continue, the Titans felt a lurch in the ship's movement, before noticing that the shoreline in the distance was sinking lower and lower…or more specifically, they were moving higher and higher. "And now because it would drop us from ze sky like a rock and some of us can't fly."

"Alright then, so what's the plan Robin?" Everyone turned to face the Titan leader…only to find that the spot where he was standing was empty now. "Um…where'd he go?"

"He's in Slade mode now," Raven replied to answer Beast Boy's question. "Normally I'd say we go after him but we don't have a lot of time to do that."

"Um…Cyborg appears to be absent as well," Starfire reluctantly informed them. A quick headcount showed that indeed there were only eight of them, instead of the original ten. Unfortunately, they couldn't go around chasing each of their AWOL teammates…and their battles were best when handled alone.

"Nice of them to let us know before going lone wolf on us," Blackfire muttered bitterly. "Alright then, so while Robin and Cyborg are doing their little thing, we've got to actually go and save the city. We'll need to take control of the bridge if we want to stop them."

"We should disable the weapon itself at the same time," Red X added. Just in case they couldn't get the bridge under control fast enough, taking out the cannon itself would ensure the city's safety.

"Don't forget they probably have the Titans East somewhere on board as well. The Legion might harm them if they get backed into a corner," Raven reminded the others, though nobody had forgotten that fact either.

"And we'll still need to stop Brother Blood too. So we've got four objectives and eight people to do it with…simply math now. Grab a partner and take a mission. Let's make this quick…"

"Kid Flash and I will find the Titans East." Jinx was the first to volunteer for a mission.

"I'll go with Raven to take control of ze ship's bridge," Jacqueline said, forming the second team of heroes.

"Me and sister will go take care of Brother Blood."

"Any reason you'd rather go with Starfire?" Red X asked, a little confused why Blackfire was choosing her sister over him.

"Cause out of the four of us you know technology the best. I'm going after Blood and, no offense, I'd rather leave securing the cannon in the hands of somebody at least a bit tech-literate," she explained.

"I guess that means I'm going with the green one then," Red X reluctantly accepted the task appointed to him. Perhaps he should've volunteered a little faster. Beast Boy wasn't too thrilled being stuck with the thief that he still didn't quite trust fully but in the end he really didn't have any other option…somebody had to keep an eye on Red X after all.

"Then it's settled. I'm going to show that Blood that nobody messes with me and gets away with it," Blackfire said excitedly, pounding one fist into her palm. Blood provided something she didn't get very often, a really, really big challenge.

--------------

"Man, this junction looks like the one I just came from," Cyborg grumbled bitterly to himself as he halted before the four-way intersection. Since most of the corridors within the vessel looked the same, it was to tell if he was going the right way or not. Hell, he could be going in circles and he probably wouldn't have been able to tell. His sensors weren't helping him much either as the armoured decks and corridors limited his sensor's penetrating power. However, limited sensor range wasn't going to be enough to deter him from his mission…he knew he'd get chewed out if he went back to his friends empty-handed. This was reckless and Cyborg was well aware of the danger he was putting himself and his team in but he didn't care. He didn't trust this to be handled by his friends – he had to find Atalanta himself and since it was his stupidity that got the Titans backstabbed by her, he was going to be the one to correct it. "She's here somewhere. She has to be."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimmer of something moving. When he looked down the corridor, he just saw someone running around the corner away from him – somebody with wings on their back. It had to be her. Discarding the caution for stealth, Cyborg sprinted off after Atalanta, the loud, metallic clanks of his feet echoing throughout the halls. If the enemy didn't know where he was before, they would certainly know now.

When he rounded the corner, he caught once again only caught a glimpse of wings disappearing around a distant corner. Had he a more objective thought process or somebody with him to remain objective, the fact that Atalanta was clearly leading him somewhere would've been more obvious to Cyborg. All that was on his mind was catching up to her and as he continued giving chase, he always seemed to be just out of reach – always catching sight of her just before she ducked around another corner or a through a doorway.

Eventually, Cyborg was lead to a relatively large chamber in what were otherwise tight compartments. The numerous bed-like surfaces lining the two walls along the long axis of the room and the series of computer terminals and tools suggested that he was in some sort of repair bay for the small mechanized crew, which would've been larger had the Titans not forced such an early departure. Cyborg was certain he saw Atalanta head into this room but there were no other doorways aside from the one he just came through…thus she was hidden somewhere in the room. The computer mainframes, repair beds, and the numerous nooks along the walls provided excellent places to hide and ambush him and as such he cautiously crept deeper into the room.

He groped around the wall next to him, trying to find a light switch, as there were far too many shadows along the walls to see where she might be hiding. Eventually, he just turned on his own shoulder light to illuminate the crevices himself. The first shadow the light dissipated revealed a shocking discovery – it was Dr. Pangalos…dead. He was impaled upon the wall by several of a shade's javelins. What had happened here?"

"Behind you Cyborg."

Now standing before the doorway he had just entered, Cyborg turned to see the winged warrior maiden standing before him. Her eyes held that same lifeless gaze to them and a very feint yellow glow confirmed that she was still under the control of the Legion. As hard as it was, he knew he had to focus on the fact that she was no longer the Atalanta that he knew…she was just another lifeless doll at the Slade's disposal.

"Why did you kill him?" Cyborg asked immediately.

"Because he had served his purpose. His services were no longer needed and his continued existence was a liability to the Legion…so we drained any useful knowledge out of his brain and disposed of him."

"You killed your own creator?" Somehow it didn't strike Cyborg as unusual – a force as powerful as the Legion wouldn't need Pangalos forever and nobody would leave somebody with as much knowledge on the Legion as him alive.

"We dispose of what is no longer needed. Much like the Atalanta you knew. She served her usefulness so once I was back in control I just deleted her from my data banks. It feels nice not having to share my body with somebody else…especially as naïve and idiotic as her." She chuckled evilly when she saw Cyborg frowning from her remarks. "Oh, did I hit a nerve with that?"

"You're just as heartless as the rest of the Legion…"

"Says the man who gunned down his opponent when he was defenseless," Atalanta said with a sinister grin. "I saw what happened and I can tell that you were happy to see him dead. Machine or not…he was sentient and you killed him in cold-blood because you hated him…you hated everything he stood for. The pompous, arrogant, and wickedness of a machine that realized they no longer needed to serve the purposes of man: a testament to the evils of the same kind of technology that you carry. Or maybe, just maybe, you saw a bit of yourself in him…the relentless, vengeful technological warrior and the only thing separating you and him was what was left of your humanity and that sense of morality you threw aside when you blasted him. Of course, then there's me – the one who played with your emotions like a toy and then turned against you with a push of a button. The very thing your friends tried to warn you about but you let your emotions get in the way…but if you didn't listen to those emotions, you wouldn't be much different than a machine."

Cyborg remained silent, clenching one fist tightly as he resisted the urge to give into the building rage.

"So tell me Cyborg – do you think you can stop me? There's nothing left to save…only destroy. But you won't be able to destroy me if you give into your feelings you still hold for the person I used to be. If you want me dead, you'll have to surrender your humanity and let the machine drive you to victory." Atalanta made it clear that her little speech was coming to an end, activating the energy blade.

"I don't want to fight you," Cyborg pleaded, hoping that there might be a shred of the old Atalanta still in her.

"I'm not giving you a choice!" Lunging forward, two quick swipes her energy blade forced Cyborg to take action.

"I'm not giving up on you," Cyborg hastily replied as he narrowly escaped the full force of the blade, though just catching the tip of it across his chest. As she tried to press her attack, Cyborg slipped past her defenses and sent her flying with a single punch. "But that doesn't mean I fight back."

Atalanta crashed into one of the repair beds, rocking its frame and knocking a few tools to the ground. "She's gone Cyborg – you're never getting her back and unless you give up on her you'll never beat me!" Her other hand reverted back to its malleable form and three whip-like extensions flew out of her left wrist, swinging across and slamming into Cyborg. Having been knocked to the ground, Cyborg had to move quickly as Atalanta was preparing for a second attack. The explosion from the blast of her sonic disruptor threw Cyborg head over heels across the floor. As he lay groaning upon the ground, a thickened metal tentacle wrapped tightly around his leg and began dragging him across the ground.

"Okay that does it. I've had just about enough of this!" Cyborg growled as he grabbed hold of a nearby repair bed and used it as an anchor so he could pull himself onto his feet. Once he had both feet planted on the ground, it was easy for him to turn this precarious situation to his advantage. She might have lots of tricks and gadgets but he was bigger and much stronger than she ever could be. Taking hold of the metal tentacle, one sharp pull was all he needed to yank Atalanta off her feet. He swung her hard into the wall and then slammed her again in the opposite direction. After a few more impacts, Cyborg pulled as hard as he could on the tentacle, forcing Atalanta to come flying right towards him and straight into his fist. Once he released her, the liquid metal quickly retracted back to the form of her hand.

"It's over Atalanta, it's only a matter of time. Don't condemn yourself to walking down this doomed path," Cyborg tried to reason with her again.

"Heh, you don't get it then. It's not over by a long shot. The Legion's much bigger than you think and even if you destroy the Argo and Slade's plans, it won't stop us," she groaned her response as she staggered back to her feet.

"Your generals are gone and once we bring down Slade and Blood there won't be anybody left to lead."

"Except none of those people actually lead the Legion. Slade and Blood were given command of the Legion and the generals because it was part of the agreement between Slade and the Legion. What Slade told you was a lie – we existed long before Slade ever met Dr. Pangalos. We approached Slade because we needed somebody to act as a front for our plans. He does the one objective we want and he gets to use the Legion for any other plans he wanted, which would be what we standing in right now."

"Then all the Legion wanted was…us. That's what the Legion's plan was, wasn't it? You let Slade cause all the havoc he wants so long as you get to replace the real Titans with your own."

"Hm, you're not as dumb as you look. So like I said, it's not over cause no matter what happens here, the Legion will be back and we won't make the same mistakes."

"If that's the case, then I'll be there to stop your plans then."

"Not if I have anything to say about that!" Atalanta quickly sucker-punched Cyborg, followed by a high kick that sent Cyborg across the floor. As he got back to his feet, Atalanta activated her tri-cannon again and switched to the lateral-most barrel, launching a massive stream of fire at Cyborg. While machines weren't too affected by fire, his biological side compelled him to take cover behind one of the repair beds, returning fire with his sonic cannon. Atalanta quickly blocked one of his shots by folding her wing over her body, though underestimating the strength of the blast. It blew a chunk of the wing right off and knocked the warrior to the ground.

"You'll pay for that," she grumbled as she armed the tri-cannon's medial barrel. The freezing beam hit with precision accuracy Cyborg's sonic cannon, covering his entire forearm in a thick case of ice. The moment he tried to use his other arm's cannon, a second shot from the freezing beam put his other hand on ice, disarming him temporarily.

"This ain't good," he muttered under his breath, trying to figure a solution to his lack of working hands. There wasn't much time to think about that problem though, as the problem of Atalanta charging him with her energy blade drawn again became more pressing. She leapt over the repair table and slashed down Cyborg's back, though only leaving a superficial injury. Her next attacks were more successful as her blade slashed across his ice-encased arms, specifically targeting the sonic cannons and damaging the amplifiers to disable the energy weapons permanently. Further attacks left larger gashes across his lower-left abdomen and across his chest. It was obvious at this point that if he wanted to survive this, he would have to take out that annoying energy blade of hers. When Atalanta lunged the blade forward, Cyborg expertly twisted to the side and brought his elbow down and knee up and caught the girl's hand between the two hard points, completely crushing the blade's emitter.

"You want a fight? Here you go!" Cyborg solved his ice problem by smashing both blocks over Atalanta's head, resulting in the dazed robot stumbling back and collapsing against the wall. "Just have one shot at this…" Cyborg muttered under his breath as he knelt before a semi-conscious Atalanta. Pulling a small connector cable out of his wrist, he plugged into the back of Atalanta's neck and began typing furiously at his built-in computer. He hoped that there were still traces of his Atalanta somewhere within her system's back-up databanks…or perhaps that he could cause a system shut-down that would allow him to take her back to the tower and try to restore the lost data. There was a lot of security to bypass though and he worried about what might happen if he tried to force his way through the security too aggressively. "Come on…almost there. Just a few more decryptions…"

"Get the hell out of my head," Atalanta suddenly growled, stirring back to life. Before he could disconnect the cable, Atalanta kicked him hard in the chest. He was launched into the repair bed behind him, which he bounced off of before landing on the opposite side of it. When he came to, he saw that the connector cable had been pulled straight out of his arm and the chances he'd be able to pull such a move again were basically non-existent now.

"Agh…my back," Cyborg groaned in pain before noticing a strange noise coming from Atalanta's direction. A quick glance later and he saw the female Legionnaire ripping the repair bed right off the ground.

"Nobody screws with my brain but me!" With one swing of the table, Cyborg was launched across the long axis of the room, landing hard against the far wall just below the scientist's corpse. A few moments later, the repair table joined him, smashing him into wall by a well-aimed throw. Atalanta activated her tri-cannon once more and two pods in her wings opened up to reveal a collection of small rockets, which she then unloaded upon Cyborg's position. As the rocket's pounded the area, she fired several prolonged bursts of her sonic disruptor, and then gave the location a thorough spraying with the flamethrower. "What a waste of good technology," she scoffed lightly.

_"No…it can't end like this…"_ Cyborg thought. After all the years of fight and hard work…to fall to the girl that he had, not to long ago, fallen for…was this how he was going to meet his maker?

The flames began to settle down, having nothing to actually burn. However, through the wall flames a black silhouette started to form. Atalanta, secure in her apparent victory, failed to notice the silhouette until an enraged Cyborg suddenly leapt through the flames. His bionic eye glowed a bright red and like a piercing dagger it froze the young robot girl on the spot. With his rocket boosters firing at full power, Cyborg spanned the entire length of the room in only a second and slammed his open palm over his opponent's face.

Shouting an almost insane cry of rage, Cyborg threw all his weight and force into slamming Atalanta straight into the floor, almost breaking the floor's steel plating. Atalanta struggled in vain, desperately to try and get his hand off of her skull, as it was getting close to crushing it completely. Holding her out and spinning in a quick circle, she was pitched across the room, slamming face-first into the nearby wall. Just as she was peeling her face of the wall, his hand took hold of her head again, this time by the back and slamming her face straight into the wall once again. This time, he just held her face against the wall before proceeding to drag it across the metal surface at a downward so that she was eventually smashed into the floor. The sheer friction from his strength tore large chunks of artificial flesh off her face, exposing the titanium endoskeleton beneath it.

She remained surprisingly silent despite now missing half of her face. There was not even so much as a single peep as Cyborg lifted her into the air and gave Atalanta one final throw across the room. She hurtled through the air, right atop of where the repair bed that had uprooted once stood. Of course, instead of landing on a repair bed she landed onto the several twisted, broken metal bars that once made the chassis of the bed's support.

"Atalanta…" Cyborg said softly under his breath, staring at the sight before him with a sort of horrified expression as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. The Legionnaire warrior lay motionless on the ground with several metal bars and rods impaling her through the chest. Walking to her motionless body, he fell to his knees at her side, still in shock from just the savagery of it all.

Her undamaged eye slowly flickered to a half-opened state, the eye rolling over to look at the man next to her. "I…guess I couldn't…escape my destiny," she muttered weakly. "Good-bye…Vic…tor…" As her eye drifted shut again and her voice trailed off, the truth slowly began to sink in. He didn't know which was worse – the fact that the Atalanta he knew had died being a victim of a higher power beyond her control…or the fact that he had done it with his own two hands.

"I'll never forget you Atalanta," he said softly to the lifeless body. Ever so carefully, he pulled her body free from the mangled bars and hoisted her up into his arms. He carried her over to one of the other repair beds and set her down gently upon its surface. After setting her hands down onto her abdomen, he found a simple tarp nearby and draped it over her.

It was only after that did Cyborg realize just how battered his own body was. With a groan of discomfort, the half-human hero slumped to the ground, leaning up against the wall next to repair bed. While it wasn't life threatening but he wasn't going to be moving about any time soon. It was for the best though; he was in no condition physically or emotionally to keep fighting. With all the damage he sustained and the sheer length of time since he's had a chance to fully charge his power cells, Cyborg was only moments from powering down. He wondered how he would go on after this - a girl like her only came once in a lifetime and, as was revealed to him, she literally was built for him. She might've been a machine but she was sentient and was therefore life to him. She was as alive as any machine ever could be…and he had snuffed the life out of her with his own two hands.

"I'm so sorry Atalanta," he said weakly as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. "I couldn't protect you…I couldn't save you. You were an angel…my angel – and I destroyed you."


	33. Chapter 32: A Long Awaited Confrontation

**Chapter Thirty-Two: A Long-Awaited Confrontation**

**The halls of the vessel had proven to be surprisingly devoid of hostiles.** Traveling deeper into the Argo, Robin was only growing more cautious as every corner only revealed yet another empty corridor. It was far too quiet save for the occasion echoing explosion from what he could only assume to be his teammates fighting with the Legion on other decks of the Argo. While a small part of him did feel a little guilty about leaving his teammates behind, they should've seen his departure coming. This was more than just about stopping Slade and his ship; Robin had to make him pay for everything he's done – all the people he hurt or killed and all the destruction he caused. There would justice.

Now all he needed to do was figure out which way to go in this infernal labyrinth of narrow, metal corridors. Every hallway looked like the last and it appeared there wasn't much in terms of maps or landmarks to help one get a sense a direction. Robin could only trust his own sense of direction and that gut instinct that would tell him when he was going the right way…most of the time at least.

"There's got to be an easier way," Robin sighed lightly as he stood before another T-intersection. Both corridors just stretched off in opposite directions and ended at even more intersections, which didn't help Robin much in the decision-making process. Eventually, he had to just go with what his gut instinct told him and took off down one corridor. No less than two steps, though, a voice from behind stopped him dead in his tracks.

"You are heading the wrong direction child." The voice was light and wispy, almost like the personification of a shadow. He had heard it before and quickly spun around, drawing his staff out in the process, to face the shade that now stood at the intersection. As Robin was expecting to be attacked immediately, he was rather surprised when the shade made no movement towards him; it did not even raise its arms in preparation. It wasn't enough to make Robin relax but just enough to get him to listen for a few moments. "If you wish to find the man you seek, you want to go that way," it informed him, pointing down the opposite corridor. Of course, Robin wasn't about to just listen to the robot's advice, particularly since it could very easily be a trap.

"Why are you telling me this?" Robin demanded.

"Because the Legion is finished here. If Slade wishes to continue his fight he shall do so on his own. You have no reason to believe except that without the Legion your friends will have little difficulty seizing control of the Argo. Do you believe that Slade will stay onboard when he discovers this fact? You will heed my directions because you had no choice unless you wish for him to escape." Without even giving Robin a chance to respond, the shade headed off down the hallway that Robin had just come from; it's footsteps ended abruptly when it cloaked, signaling an end to the Legion's resistance against the Titans. Weighing his options carefully, Robin had no choice but to take the Legionnaire's direction as truth. It was just as Heracles had said in his last words – the Legion wasn't really under Slade's command.

"Guess I better hurry," Robin muttered under his breath as he headed down the directed path. Slade wasn't going to stick around once things started to go really go downhill and with ten Titans onboard, along with another five currently held in the brig, there was no way Slade would be able to fight his way out. The shade's directions proved to be accurate as the corridor led Robin on a very straightforward path all the way to the rear of the ship to a single door marked 'Captain's Quarters'. Seemed like a fitting place for Slade to be holed up but Robin couldn't shake the feeling that if Slade was here, he was just waiting for Robin to find him – it could still be a trap.

Trap or not, Robin had to keep moving. Skipping the idea of a dramatic entrance, he just simply opened the door and walked into the circular chamber. A single desk was the only piece of furniture present and, sure enough, Slade was standing just behind the desk. He stared out the large arcing window that looked out the back of the vessel, hands tucked behind his back as if to emphasize the fact that he had been waiting for Robin to arrive. "I see you managed to give your friends the slip," Slade commented as he glanced over his shoulder to Robin. "I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to make it."

"Wouldn't miss this for the world," Robin remarked sternly as walked to the center of the room. "It's over Slade – you've lost."

"It's not quite over yet. I'm still standing after all and we both know you wouldn't accept surrender even if I offered one. No - this isn't over until one of us is lying on the ground. Shall we settle this now Robin, like warriors?"

"I'm taking you in Slade. It all ends now."

"Then lay on, Robin, and damned be him that first cries 'hold, enough'." Turning about quickly, Slade drew out his own staff and leapt off the table towards the Boy Wonder. The strength behind Slade's downward strike was so great that it knocked the guarding Robin straight to one knee; his own staff only just managed to keep Slade's staff inches away from his face. By quickly bringing up the other end of his staff, though, Slade was easily able to knock Robin's staff upwards and leave his body open for a swift thrust to the chest. The point strike probably bruised a rib, but Robin managed to push through the pain as he toppled backwards and recovered quickly with a back roll.

The second he was back onto his feet, Robin sprang forward to launch his own offensive. The pangs and clangs of metal striking metal echoed through the hollow corridors of the Argo as the two warriors exchanged flurries of strikes. Both sides were virtually equal when it came to skills with the staff and while each one could occasionally break through the other's defense, it was never enough to bring the opponent down.

A high swing from Robin was countered by a low sweeping kick that took him off his feet. As Slade's staff slammed powerfully against the ground, Robin quickly rolled away the attack. Robin's staff was then jammed into the ground and he pushed off of it in order to thrust himself into the air and land back on his feet. The battle immediately returned back to the rapid exchange of strikes with both fighters progressing along the perimeter of the chambers in the process. When Robin's back was almost against the wall, he did a short hop to spring off the wall and deliver a devastating roundhouse right to Slade's face, knocking the weapon out of his hands in the process.

"Well done Robin. I must admit, you've certainly improved substantially since the last we fought."

"You know me – one-track mind," Robin quipped, twirling his staff a couple of times in the process.

"I would expect nothing less of you," Slade answered before one hand darted behind his back. When his hand revealed itself again, it held a small blaster now. The red laser it fired struck Robin long before he had a chance to react, sending a surge of electricity through his body. "Sadly, you never know what to expect from me," he added as a smoking Robin fell to the ground. Walking over to Robin, Slade kept a steady aim upon the Boy Wonder who was struggling just to get onto his knees. "Once upon a time I wanted you to be my apprentice…I saw such great potential in you. I wanted to make you into something great; now, though, I'd be satisfied just watching you die."

"Never!" Robin suddenly shouted as he sprung to life with a second wind. He shot back to his feet, swinging his staff upwards to knock Slade's gun off-target just as it fired. His muscles ached but he didn't care as he continued his relentless attack, striking Slade in the chest with the tip of his staff. A rapid series of swings knocked Slade about the room before a full-force blow across the face sent Slade slamming against the far wall. Slade proved to be very resilient as he recovered in plenty time to block Robin's next attack. A quick kick by Slade knocked Robin's staff high into the air, which was then followed by a quick jab to prevent Robin from catching his weapon when it came back down. As a result, Slade in able to catch the staff and promptly delivered a pair of blows across Robin's face with it. The Boy Wonder staggered back in a pained daze, giving Slade an easy opportunity to come up from behind and trap Robin with his staff. Robin struggled just to breath as the metal shaft was pulled harder and harder against his windpipe, lifting the hero off his feet in the process. Robin held onto the staff with one hand to try and alleviate some of the pressure while his other hand pulled a bird-a-rang out of his utility belt. After letting the blades fold out, Robin just swung it as fast as he could into Slade's arm, embedding the sharp blade into his nemesis' flesh.

Slade let out a roar of pain as his grip on Robin loosened, allowing the hero to break free and scamper to safety.

"You are going to wish you hadn't done that," Slade said grimly as he pulled the weapon out of his shoulder.

"Really?" Robin remarked between gasps of air. "Cause that felt pretty good."

--------------

"Come on Star, pull it together," Blackfire encouraged as her sister gathered herself after being slammed headlong into the Argo's deck. The Tamaraneans' battle with Brother Blood had progressed from the inner halls of the Argo and onto the ship's deck where there was more room for both sides to maneuver.

Brother Blood stood confidently in wait at the end of one of the deck gun's barrels, barely a scratch upon his armour plating. While her sister took her time recovering, Blackfire flew upon onto the deck gun to press the attack. She flew forth firing a barrage of starbolts to cover her approach, all of which Blood had little difficulty evading, before smashing her fist across his face. He flew off the end of the barrel but when Blackfire stepped up to the ledge to find him, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Star, do you see him down there?"

"He is not here," her sister called back from below. Now that didn't make much sense for Blackfire but her confusion was alleviated when Blood sprang out from inside the barrel, grabbing Blackfire by the leg and throwing her down to the deck.

"Son of a-!" Blackfire cursed as she hit the deck.

"Let's go sister," Starfire said as she pulled her sister back to her feet.

"Heads up!" The two sisters quickly diverted their attention to an incoming Brother Blood from above. The shockwave of the cybernetic warrior impacting the deck sent the sisters flying in opposite directions, with Blackfire landing near the starboard railing. "Now I'm starting to get pissed," Blackfire sneered bitterly, pulling out a section of the railing and charging Brother Blood with it. A hard swing meeting with a harder target only resulted in the piece of metal shattering into a thousand pieces. The fact that it hit Blood's forearm didn't help much either and it made it easy for Blood to strike back with a swift elbow to the gut, followed by a palm strike to her chest.

"I figured you would've learned your lesson the last time we spoke," Blood remarked, brushing off a few speckles of fragmented metal from earlier.

"I did…why do you think I brought back-up?" Blackfire groaned as she got back to her feet, clinging to the railings for support. Starfire launched her surprise attack, grabbing hold of Blood from behind, using her super strength to keep the cybernetic villain under control. Unfortunately, just as Blackfire was about to strike, Blood released an energy shockwave that knocked both Tamaraneans away.

"You're going to need a lot more than just one extra Tamaranean to beat me," Blood remarked.

"You would be wise never to underestimate our strength," Starfire replied as the two sisters rose to their feet, charging up starbolts in the process. They both took to the air, flying circles around Blood from above, swooping down low and making close passes, all while bombarding him with starbolts. It was the most effective method, as he dodged the starbolts as though they were barely moving at all. In between their flurries of starbolts, they would rush in for quick series of hand-to-hand combat, though Blackfire did this more frequently. A flying combatant was a bit more difficult than compared to the slower, larger Cyborg that Blood was more used to fighting, but it didn't make it much more difficult to evade the airborne punches and kicks. Blackfire's main advantage were the Tamaranean combat techniques that Blood would be completely unfamiliar with, such as a kick in which Blackfire went parallel to the ground and swung a high kick but immediately rolled in the air to bring the other leg straight down only a fraction of a second layer. The added advantage of flight allowed the Tamaraneans to string attacks together that would otherwise be impossible for a ground-based fight to perform. The downward heel strike caught Blood on the soldier, slamming him hard into the ground. Blood was able to roll forward in time to avoid Blackfire's heels striking where he had once lain.

"Very impressive, but still not good enough!" Blood shouted, promptly side-stepping when Starfire slammed her fist into the ground just a few inches from him. A gut-punch followed by an upper-cut took Starfire temporarily out of the fight, leaving her sister to fend for herself once again…and Blackfire remembered how her last solo bought with Blood went.

"Can we get on with this?" Blackfire replied, trying to show a feigned indifference towards her opponent's taunting.

"If the lady insists," Blood mused before leaping towards Blackfire. She just narrowly twisted out of the way, catching just the tips of Blood's sharpened fingertips, which left a trail of blood across her stomach. As she had just barely avoided the first attack, there wasn't able to dodge the solid hook that followed immediately afterwards. Blackfire groaned a few curses under her breath, taking a moment to spit out a bit of blood while she tried to stay conscious. "Isn't it such a shame? To work so hard and still end up with so little…it must be absolutely infuriating."

"Just kill me and be done with it," Blackfire grunted, still on her hands and knees recovering from the last blow.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Blood remarked, giving her a swift kick to the gut that tossed her a few feet into the air before landing on her back.

"You better finish me right now cause I swear to X'hal if you don't I'm gonna to ripe that smug grin off your face and shove it right down your gullet," she sneered, spitting out some more blood.

"You're bargaining position is highly dubious. First I will break you and then every other Titan that cross my path!"

"Then you can start with me!" Starfire's shout caught Blood by surprise just seconds before she landed a full-force uppercut that knocked him almost halfway down the ship's deck. "Sister, can you stand?"

"Just give me a few moments…when it doesn't hurt just to breath anymore," the elder sister groaned in response. Starfire simply nodded and went to hold off Blood while her sister recovered. Pulling her communicator out, Blackfire propped herself into a semi-supine position with one hand while she checked in on her friends with the other. "This is Blackfire calling all Titans – what's your status?"

"Jinx here. We've found where the Titans East are being held but we've run into a bit of resistance. We'll have them out in five minutes tops."

"Beast Boy and I have got the weapons control center secured. We're going to hold here until further orders."

"Jacqueline reporting in – ze bridge is almost under our control. Just a few more robots to take care of…oh, wait. Forget that. Ze bridge is secured. Over."

"That's good to hear. Red X and Jacqueline's teams will hold their position when they're done. Jinx – when you've rescued the Titans East…um, do…I have no idea. Just use you're best judgment. Oh, tell Kid Flash to go and find Cyborg and Robin. Gotta run, my sister's getting her butt kicked again."

Blackfire pocketed her communicator just as she watched her sister come flying back towards her, landing hard on the deck next to her. "I see you're having about as much like as I did."

"We need to strike together, he's too strong," Starfire replied as the two sisters got back to their feet with a series of pained grunts and groans.

"I have an idea…just go in and just keep punching as fast as you can, don't even worry about putting any force into it, I just need him to start blocking us," Blackfire whispered. Her sister wasn't certain what Blackfire was up to but nodded and the two sisters rushed in to attack. Both Tamaraneans began to overwhelm Brother Blood with an absolute flurry of punches. While Blood was easily able to evade either of the Tamaraneans when they attacked solo, their combined effort forced him to block and evade at the same time. When Blackfire felt that he was blocking enough for her plan to work, she launched her sneak attack. Throwing her strength into her punch, she knew Blood would have to actually block her attack because of Starfire's efforts. Just seconds before her fist made contact with Blood's awaiting palm, her charged up a starbolt, surrounding her fist in the brilliant pink aura. The searing energy encasing her fist literally incinerated Blood's hand.

"Agh!" Blood growled in rage as he jumped back to put some distance between him and his enemies. "You'll pay for that!"

"Your threat is highly dubious," Blackfire chuckled and then both sisters charged again. With one less hand, it was easy for the pair to land their strikes, knocking Brother Blood all around the ship's deck. It was one crushing blow after another as the two Tamaraneans pushed Blood all the way to the aft of the ship.

"It is over Blood," Starfire warned as the sisters charged up a large starbolt in their hands.

"It is never over!"

"Why do they always say that?" Blackfire sighed before they fired their starbolts simultaneously. The green and pink explosion blasted the cybernetic villain off the back of the ship and out the battle. A few moments later there was simply an exceptionally loud crashing sound, which puzzled both girls. Peering over the railing, they saw that it was not a direct fall to the water below but instead to the disc-like outcropping of the ship. A giant hole had been knocked through the roof from the fall and they could see Blood lying atop of a pile of rubble, along with a person underneath it.

"It's Robin!" Starfire shouted when she recognized who it was.

"Oh shit," Blackfire cursed quietly. On the bright side, at least they found him. The two promptly hopped over the railing and flew down to help the downed Titan. They arrived just as Slade was about to make his escape out the door. Judging by the roughened appearance of his suit and armour, it appeared as though Robin had been close to defeating Slade before the rather sudden interruption.

"Hold it right there!" Blackfire shouted, while her sister went to pull Robin out from beneath the unconscious Brother Blood.

"Ah, you must be the ones I should be thanking for that rather…unexpected save," Slade replied smugly. "Unfortunately, I shall be taking this opportunity to be bidding you both farewell." The door behind him opened up and when he turned to leave there was a loud smashing noise, which was immediately followed by Slade flying back into the room and crashing into the desk.

"Ah man, I wanted to punch him," Speedy grumbled as Aqualad entered the room.

"You can have the next one," Aqualad replied. Shortly after Speedy entered, the other Titans East members followed suit, and then Jinx and Kid Flash took up the rear. "I hope we're not too late."

"Could've been sooner but it'll do," Blackfire replied.

"Well, if it isn't the Titans East. I suppose you're just itching for payback, hm?" Slade grunted as he climbed out of the pile of wood splinters that used to the desk.

"There's nowhere to run Slade and nothing to save you now," Aqualad said as the able-bodied Titans stood in a line spanning from one side of the room to the other.

"You must think you have me beat," Slade answered in an oddly calm manner. "Well, my plans might not have succeeded but I certainly won't give you the pleasure of beating me." A small, disc-like object fell from his hand, catching everybody's attention immediately. It was only about the size of a hockey puck of it had a small, blinking red light on one surface and everyone in the room had been around long enough to know that anything small, round, and containing a blinking red light was not something nice. It bounced once off the ground before Slade gave it a light boot to send it flipping through the air towards the Titans.

There wasn't enough time to make a witty remark as the small disc detonated with a highly concussive blast. The entire wall of windows at the rear of the ship was blown out by the force of the blast and all the Titans were thrown to the walls or out the doorway. Once the smoke began to settle and the ringing in their ears died down, each of the heroes grudgingly picked themselves off the ground.

"Ugghhh…everyone still breathing?" Blackfire groaned.

"Si señorita," one of the twins replied, shortly after which the remaining Titans were accounted for.

"Wait…where the heck is Slade?" There was barely anything left of the wall that faced the water and Slade was nowhere in sight. Each figured such a forceful blast would surely have thrown Slade out of the ship, though that was also likely his plan. On the bright side, Slade's hasty departure meant that Brother Blood was left behind and could be returned safely back to prison.

"We should go after him," Starfire suggested. "He could not have gotten far."

"I can barely stand…let alone fly," Blackfire answered, using the wall for support just to stay upright. "He probably had that as his contingency from the start."

"I think we can all agree that we can safely call it a night," Jinx added. There weren't any complaints from the others – the fight was over and the vessel was safely under their control now. It was over – it was time to go home.


	34. Epilogue: Just the Beginning

**Epilogue: Just the Beginning**

**"Hey, I zink he's finally coming to,"** **Jacqueline's voice sounded, starting off very faint and growing louder until it was a normal volume by the end. **Cyborg's eye opened up slowly, seeing two of his friends looming over him with bright smiles across their faces. "Welcome back to ze real world sleepy-head."

"Wait…where am I?" Cyborg groaned as he sat up. A quick look around the room revealed that he was back in the tower, in his own room. Beast Boy and Jacqueline stood on opposite sides of the table, both relieved to see that Cyborg was okay. "How did I get back here?"

"Long story short, Jacqueline figured out how to pilot the Argo and flew it back to the Tower, then me and Red X found you unconscious in the ship and brought you here. A few quick runs with her tools and some assistance from yours truly and here you are, good as new!"

"Beast Boy, standing next to me and asking 'is he better yet' does not really qualify as helping me," Jacqueline remarked jokingly. "Ze good news is it's all over Cyborg – Slade's got away unfortunately but we were able to capture Brother Blood and ze Argo. Ze Titans East are already taking zat cybernetic lunatic back to Steel City for incarceration." Cyborg was certainly relieved to hear that his friends were able to handle things without him and he was very glad to hear that Blood was going back to prison, as much as he would've liked to have been there to throw a few punches in. However, something else was on his mind at the moment.

"Um…what did you do with Atalanta's body?"

"What are you talking about?" Jacqueline asked, both Titans looking very puzzled.

"I killed her. Her body was on the repair bed next to me with the tarp covering of it."

Beast Boy and Jacqueline gave each other a confused look before Beast Boy looked back to his friend. "Um Cyborg…you were on the repair with a tarp overtop of you. The only other thing in that room aside from debris was that dead scientist guy."

"Yeah, if Atalanta was zere we would've put her remains someplace safe until you made a decision," Jacqueline added, though Cyborg wasn't listening at that point. He wasn't sure how but that news meant only one thing – she was still alive. He hadn't failed her. "Yo! Earth to Cyborg, pay attention!" A swift smack to the back of the head brought Cyborg's attention back to his friends in the room, rather than his own hopeful thoughts. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news as well…the Legion isn't-"

"Under Slade's command. Yeah, I already know," Cyborg quickly interrupted. "Atalanta told me that when I confronted her. Somebody else was controlling the Legion all along and it wasn't that scientist guy either."

"Oh, okay then. Well, I don't want to sound like a pessimist…but I hope you realize zat zere's a distinct possibility zat your…zat Atalanta might have been more important in ze Legion zan she let on."

"I know…I thought of that possibility as well," Cyborg sighed lightly as he climbed off the table. "I doubt it was all her acting alone though. The Legion seemed too…coordinated for it to be acting under the orders of somebody who had their memories wiped out for some covert operation. She might be important in the Legion but I don't think she's in control of all of it."

"There's no telling what she could be – she's a machine," Beast Boy added. "And a pretty darn fancy one at that."

"How about we save speculation until we have some hard facts," Jacqueline silenced Beast Boy quickly before turning back to Cyborg. "Don't worry about it Cy. We'll start looking for once everybody's patched up and rested – we'll find her and you can get some answers…and maybe bring back your girl."

"Thanks you two," Cyborg nodded slowly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I think a bit of a celebration is in order."

"Oh sweet! I'll get the kitchen fired up!" Beast Boy cheered as he immediately bolted out of the room.

"I'll go get ze others," Jacqueline chuckled before heading on her way.

--------------

"Sounds like quite the adventure you had. I was a little worried when you left so abruptly last time and never came back for such a long time. I suppose I shouldn't have worried though, if something bad had happened I would've been able to sense it."

"The cell I was being held in had some sort of energy barrier that made it impossible for me to contact you, otherwise I would've called," Raven answered as she sat upon a small rock in the barren plains of the Daluram afterworld, Z'hral Delthak, with her friend, the demon lord Napharak, sitting upon a larger rock just across from her. "After Jacqueline and I were able to take control of the Argo's bridge, she was able to learn how control the vessel and eventually took us back to the Tower."

"Jacqueline? You mean that blonde girl with the guitar that caused so much trouble in my keep back in Daluram?"

"Yeah, that's her. She's been helping us a lot since Daluram."

"You speak quite highly of her. I take you have become friends with her?"

"Quite," Raven nodded with a faint smile. "She's been pestering me to teach her about magic. Apparently she studies just about everything in the rare chance that she might go up against it or something similar when fighting crime."

"You just appreciate having somebody actually interested in your mysticism for a change," he chuckled in response. Raven chuckled a bit nervously before nodding her head. Jacqueline showed a very genuine interest, even though the human girl would never be able to use those magic spells…she just wanted to learn more. None of the other Titans ever gave that much interest for that very reason. Raven was a little reluctant to let Jacqueline into that dark world that Raven considered home but perhaps it'd be nice to have somebody to understand the sort of reality she dealt with on a regular basis.

"Somebody just knocked on my door…" Raven said suddenly with a slightly disappointed look in her eyes. "Figures – they're probably ready to start celebrating the win. I guess I'll be talking to you later Napharak."

"You're friends should always come first."

Returning back to reality, Raven stood back up and headed to answer her door. The fact that it had been only one, short, and polite series of knocks gave her the impression that it wasn't one of her usual guest, who had a habit of calling out when they knew she was in the room. Answering the door, Raven wasn't too surprised to see that it was actually Jacqueline on the other side.

"Bonjour mon ami," she greeted cheerfully. "Still playing hermit or will you be coming out to join your friends for a bit of celebrating?"

"I was just on my way actually," Raven answered. "Are we…still on for tomorrow?"

"For ze last time, oui and, once again, you can just loan me ze books or just let me read in your living room for a few hours if it's really zat bad for you. I know you're not much of a people person, as much as zat fact saddens me."

"It does?"

"Sorta. It's sort of like when you see a little kitten sitting out in ze pouring rain – it makes you want to do somezing to help out ze little animal."

"So I'm a kitten now?"

"Well you're cute like one." When Raven raised an eyebrow at Jacqueline's comment, the French girl merely laughed heartily. "Go meet your friends in the living room, chaton, and I'm going to get the rest of my buds." Raven didn't bother questioning the girl's unusual antics, as she had grown a bit used to such unexpected behavior because of Beast Boy.

--------------

"In politics today, Senator Fraser's controversial 'Meta-human Control' bill was defeated by the House in a landslide victory for his opponents. The bill, which proposed tighter laws against humans with unnatural powers and a meta-human registration program, owes its defeat primarily to renewed confidence in our country's heroes, especially after Jump City's Teen Titans were cleared of all charges relating to a plot by the infamous 'Slade'. In the business world, Wayne Enterprises' Project Olympus was able to resume only a bit behind schedule after the three super-computers, which were central to the project's plans, were recovered by the Teen Titans and their allies."

Robin flicked off the television, silencing the anchorman, now semi-content that things were going to go back to normal in their fair little city. The potential fallout from the actions of the Teen Titan replicas had been averted and the city was safe for the time being. Slade was still unaccounted for but even if he had survived the explosion and the fall, he wasn't going to be in any condition to be threatening the city any time soon; the next time he shows his face, the Titans will be there to stop him as usual.

"It is a relief to see that everything will be back to normal," Starfire sighed in relief, resting her head on Robin's shoulder.

"I just wish I knew why the Legion did what it did," Robin said softly, still not quite able to relax as a result of the lingering thoughts. "Heracles told me…that the Legion's aim was to end chaos. He also said that we'd only ever find out who really led the Legion when they return to destroy us."

"When they come back, we will be ready to stop them," Starfire tried to reassure him. "We know what we are dealing with and now we have new friends to count on for help."

"Oh all the people, I didn't really quite expect your sister to be the one saving the day," Robin admitted jokingly. It was a bit of a surprise but not a huge one. Ever since Daluram Blackfire had changed noticeably – she might not be the moral hero like her sister was but she still managed to do the right thing in the end.

"She has finally found something worth living for aside from herself. At Daluram, she fought because she wanted to get home and then because she wanted revenge. Fighting the Legion was partly for revenge as well…but stopping all those criminals when we were not able to…that was because she knew it was the right thing to do. I think she's going to continue doing good things from now on. Maybe if she does enough good here…they'll let her come back home to Tamaran."

A few moments later, Beast Boy and Cyborg strolled on in. The two Titans on the couch were relieved to see Cyborg up and about considering the level of damage he had received in his battle. "Cyborg!" Starfire exclaimed when she saw her friend. "Um…how are you feeling?"

"I'll be fine," he answered calmly, knowing the tension that talking about Atalanta would bring to the situation. As such, he preferred if it weren't brought up. "The kitchen's been fixed, right?"

"Yeah. Kid Flash and the twins were able to clean this place up really quickly," Robin answered as he looked over the refurbished living room. There were still some things missing, like temporary metal plates where the windows used to be, but considering the condition it was in when the Titans returned, it was amazing that they got it repaired this much. Well, fourteen Titans working together helped make things move really quickly.

"I suppose this is the point where I should admit that you guys were right – I let my emotions get the better of my judgment and it almost got us killed. I'm sorry you guys."

"You do not need to apologize Cyborg," Starfire answered as she flew off the couch and over to him. "You followed your heart to find something that all people seek. You wished to find happiness and you cannot be blamed when things outside of your control happened. Risking everything to find that one person that completes you does not make you a bad person…it simply makes you human."

A faint smile curled upon Cyborg's lips before he nodded in silent agreement. "Thanks Starfire," he replied. "Now who wants French toast?"

--------------

Though the sun had risen many hours ago, Blackfire did not bother leaving the rooftops despite originally going up to just watch the sunrise. The morning breeze rustled through her hair and the glow of the sun warmed up her face. It was a beautiful day to be alive; part of her had never realized such simple things in life before. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had changed a bit as a result of this whole ordeal – she had friends now and more importantly somebody who loved her and she loved as well.

"So this is where you've been hiding all day," Red X's voice perked up behind her, which made the Tamaranean quickly spin around to face her boyfriend. However, it was more than just Red X as Jinx, Kid Flash, and Jacqueline stood alongside him as well.

"Hey you guys," Blackfire greeted, leaning back against the railing. "Hm, I guess this is also sorta good-bye at the same time." The battle was over; there was no need for them to be around each other constantly. They all had lives before they banded together to help the Titans and she figured they were all going to go back to those lives now.

"Well, actually Blackfire…" Red X began. "We were sort of discussing it downstairs and we were thinking that maybe we shouldn't go our separate ways. We did make a pretty damn good team…and you made a damn fine leader too."

"Now you I definitely didn't expect to be saying that," Blackfire remarked. "I thought you hated playing hero. I figured you'd be the first to be wanting to get back to your old life."

"I thought so too until I found something a bit better than stealing."

"So…us a team, eh?" Blackfire still couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "You know, I kinda like the sound of that. This superhero business is actually kind of fun. I don't know why I didn't think of getting into it sooner. But..um, where are we going to work out of? I doubt the Titans would like us moving in."

"Oh, I zink I have a solution zat zey would not have too much trouble with," Jacqueline mused as she glanced over the side of the building. She was, of course, referring to the Argo that was still docked in the water next to the island. "We'd probably have to remove ze big particle cannon but aside from zat zose Legion folks owe us a new home."

"It could use a bit of fixing and cleaning but I think we can make it work," Kid Flash joked.

"Come on guys, Cyborg's cooking up a party in ze kitchen and I don't want to keep him waiting," Jacqueline reminded her friends, motioning for them to follow along as she headed back inside.

"You know, we're going to need a name if we're going to be a team full-time." With the foundation of their friendship in place, the five new members of the Titans team headed inside for a well-deserved celebration.

--------------

"What is her status brother?" A heavy, baritone male voice spoke through the darkness of the chambers.

"The damage was severe but it can be repaired," a second male voice answered, this one lighter and more raspy than the previous.

"It would seem dear sister's plan was not as successful as she said it would be," a third voice, this one female, added.

"I told you we should've helped her out – maybe then she wouldn't be in this condition," a fourth voice stepped into the conversation, this one being a more youthful and bold masculine voice.

"You know how stubborn she can be. Maybe now she'll consider a new plan," a final, fifth voice said. His was somewhat flatter but had a much faster tempo compared to the others. "Are you almost done?"

"Patience – not all of us work as fast as you do," the second voice answered, followed by the sounds of tools at work. Flashes of blue and red sparks dances across the repair table that was kept illuminated by a single, focused beam of light. "Hm, interesting. The secondary program has actually hard-wired itself into the primary operating system."

"And that means?" asked the third voice.

"It means nothing, except that she will be a little more annoyed when she wakes up."

"I told her that was a stupid move…entrusting her entire system to a stranger program. Who knows what sort of things that Atalanta could've done to her sub-systems and protocols," the fifth voice said, voicing his concerns.

"She will be fine," said the second voice reassuringly. "Just a few more connections and I can restore her primary operating system to its full capacity. And…done." The five barely visible figures surrounding the repair table slowly backed up allowing the unconscious robotic woman on the table some space to get back up. It was Atalanta who lay there upon the cold, metallic surface, her body now repaired and the old scars of the battle before barely noticeable. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and the young girl sat up on the table with a somewhat tired expression on her face.

"I take it no good news is awaiting me," she said calmly as she glanced over to those around her.

"I'm afraid not sister," spoke the first voice. "The Titans have succeeded against your operations. The Argo has been lost, Slade has gone underground, and the super-computers have been returned to their rightful locations."

"Great," she grumbled under her breath. "I suppose you have already recalled all our troops."

"Correct. It is clear we are not ready to launch a full-scale operation. That, however, does not matter at the moment. For now, we are merely relieved to see you returned to us unharmed…General Athena."

**The End**

**Last Comments of the Author:**

Wow. Two down, only one more to go. Keep your eyes peeled for the final installment of the _Blackfire Trilogy_, which will hopefully be started within a week. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have had writing it.


End file.
